


Paradisiac

by glowparrilla



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), swan queen - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Coincidences, Domestic Fluff, Drama & Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Falling In Love, Fate & Destiny, Maldives, Plot twist?, Self-Acceptance, Summer Vacation, Swan Queen Supernova 2020 (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:01:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 80,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26163802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glowparrilla/pseuds/glowparrilla
Summary: The trip to the Maldives had only one purpose: to celebrate her friend’s bachelorette party and have the utmost fun. However, Emma wasn’t planning on falling head over heels for a gorgeous woman who was drinking by herself at the bar, someone as beautiful and mysterious as the waters of the sea, someone with a unique and unforgettable way. Honestly, Emma wasn’t even looking for someone to date. At least, that's what she thought until she actually met the brunette for who she really is.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 78
Kudos: 176
Collections: Swan Queen Supernova V: Forever Starstruck





	1. She Is Alluring

**Author's Note:**

  * For [parrillasgf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/parrillasgf/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Paradisiac [Art]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26219152) by [starchasm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starchasm/pseuds/starchasm). 
  * Inspired by [Paradisiac [art]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26221444) by [Starrrynighhts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starrrynighhts/pseuds/Starrrynighhts). 



> As for my first time participating in this challenge, I must say it was a very wild ride with lots of fun and panic on the way. I've always been a fan of SQSN and the incredible work these mods do for this challenge to run smoothly is PHENOMENAL. It astounds me completely, tbh. So, it's an honour to write for this challenge and such a powerful fandom and share my love for Emma & Regina with you all. These women have impacted my life in a way I'll never let go of. I believe the Swan Queen fandom will never die as long as we keep Emma & Regina in our hearts and in our folder of drafts inside our computers ;).
> 
> I want to say a big thank you to Tally, who has been my muse since the beginning of this ride. To Ana, for being a fun friend and who I've chosen to dedicate this work to. And to Isabela, my friend who reads my stories and sends me poems for my inspiration.
> 
> Thank you to my beta reader, Sarah, who did a wonderful job correcting my work. And to my cheerleader, Elle, who was always very supportive and energetic when I needed it.
> 
> And a MASSIVE thank you to my artists - Iris and starchasm for their incredible arts for this fic <3
> 
> I hope you like this story as much as I did writing it and I can tell you you are on board for a crazy, surprising ride! #NoSpoilers

Forty minutes after stopping in Malé’s airport, the seaplane finally lands on Niyama Private Islands that proclaims itself to be called “Nature’s Playground”. Emma steps down the small stairs of the seaplane, setting her wobbly feet on the wooden surface as her eyes are swamped by the breathtaking panorama of ivory-white beaches, crystal clear waters and endless views out over the Indian Ocean at the Maldives. Her heart swells inside her chest as she takes in every bit, feeling her eyes water upon realizing she has finally made one of many of her dreams to come true.

“Oh, my God!” Ruby exclaims, pulling her fiancé in for a tight embrace and a kiss on the cheek. “We’re here, Belle.”

Emma smiles at the couple, recognizing how much this trip to this paradisiac island means to them all. 

“Holy shit, I can’t believe we made it,” Elsa comments, stopping beside Emma to nudge her playfully with an excited grin on her face.

“Just by this first glimpse of the Maldives, I already know my money was well damn worth it,” Mulan says proudly as she sweeps her eyes around.

“I’m so glad you girls decided to come with us,” Ruby admits with a huge grin mirroring her fiancé’s, Belle. “It’s going to be one hell of a good vacation!”

“I couldn’t agree more, Rubes!” Emma chants, finally moving her feet again as the staff gathers their belongings and calls them to walk through the wooden path towards the entrance of the island.

Before entering, someone from the staff points to the wooden bridge dividing Niyama’s two immaculately kept islands, “Chill” and “Play”, that covers one and a half miles of pure unadulterated bliss. Then, they invite Emma and her friends to enter the sandy path inside the vegetation that will lead to the reception area.

When in the reception lounge, the girls are warmly welcomed by the hotel manager Hafidh as they check-in, each of them receiving smart room keys that are waterproof bracelets, and presented to their ‘thakuru’ — the personal butler of each villa that can arrange every activity or schedule a spot at the restaurants for them. Ruby and Belle’s thakuru is a man named Hasir and Emma, Elsa, and Mulan’s thakuru is called Sami.

As they had booked before, Emma would stay in a ‘beach villa’ with Mulan and Elsa while Ruby and Belle would obviously stay in another ‘beach villa’, so they could have some privacy. But the main goal of this trip is to enjoy their time together as friends and to celebrate Ruby and Belle’s bachelorette party in this marvellous, relaxing island.

Hasir and Sami lead them inside the resort, giving a quick tour that causes Emma to gape helplessly at the things she has on her favour for this whole week of vacation. Honestly, this was the best idea _ever_! 

Their beach villas are located side by side, on the farther end of “Chill” island, close enough to catch a few glimpses of the Crescent area where all the deluxe private water villas are located. Emma, Elsa and Mulan are separated from Ruby and Belle for a few minutes as their thakuru gives the tour inside the beach villa: the room is outfitted with a king bed and one bed-couch, a Deli-In with full-size refrigerator overflowing with gourmet treats and drinks, and surprisingly, a few of them are even free. There is also a LED TV with a range of international movies to watch along with a popcorn maker and tubs of ice cream in the fridge. In Emma’s opinion, though, the best of this beach villa is surely the tropical outdoor bathroom that is the same size as the bedroom, with outdoor showers and huge ceramic bathtubs to bathe under the stars. Besides, each villa has a secluded deck that offers pure privacy to wander into the turquoise waters of the beach, luxuriate in alfresco rain showers, moonlit dips, or an intimate afternoon basking in the sun.

Emma had been so anxious for this trip the past few weeks because she was doing something she never did: pack properly for a fantastic trip she decided she would partake in with her friends a year ago. She had to save a lot of her monthly wages just to be able to realize her dream to come to the Maldives. The idea of celebrating Ruby and Belle’s bachelorette party was just enough encouragement to make them save money to finally come to visit the island.

After all of them finish unpacking, they change into their swimsuits and head to Ruby and Belle’s beach villa, and prompt the couple to rush.

“C’mon girls, I can’t wait to get in the water,” Mulan anxiously mutters when they see Ruby and Belle coming out of their bathroom.

“Let’s go!” Ruby chants with a huge smile, promoting them all to walk towards the beach.

And that’s how they spend their first afternoon in the Maldives: by laying on the white, clear sand and, once in a while, diving into the ocean for a great, relaxing swim. Emma couldn’t feel more relaxed than this. The hot-sun bathing her skin, telling her she will be sunburned later, but she doesn’t actually care. She is here, in the Maldives, and she has 4 more days to enjoy the calming breezes of the light, aqua-blue ocean and enjoy the most of this iconic trip.

* * *

♬

_The world was on fire and no one could save me but you_

_It’s strange what desire will make foolish people do_

_I never dreamed that I’d meet somebody like you_

— Chris Isaak

Around 7 pm, the girls walk the steps towards the Epicure buffet restaurant to have dinner. Emma is very impressed by the variety of food displayed in front of her eyes, and the good-smelling aromas all around the white-green restaurant. She will certainly indulge in every type of food for the rest of her days here, that’s for sure.

An hour later, they leave the restaurant and head straight to the bar. Towering above Epicure, red-hot to white Fahrenheit Bar has a terrace with the ocean's view, with elegant white sofas, daybeds and low tables. Inside, bucket chairs with scarlet pillows cluster around small, lighted tables for two. It’s 8 pm now and the bar is not too crowded yet, so they easily find some chairs available at the wide lounge.

“I will get so hammered tonight,” Mulan mumbles as they sit on the comfortable black chairs in the middle of the vast lounge, close by the bar. 

“God, me too,” Emma responds with an excited grin. “We all need this vacation. The precinct is driving me crazy already.”

“I know how you feel, girl,” Mulan admits. “As much as I like being a detective, I couldn’t wait to stop thinking about work and find some peace in a place like this.”

Emma grins at her friend’s comment. She totally feels the same way. This trip is a sight for her sore eyes that could only see crime, blood and perps for far too long.

“Let’s stop talking about work and focus on ordering those exotic drinks Ruby said they served,” Elsa debates, raising her left hand to call the waiter.

“Damn, look at these!” Ruby points to the photos of the drinks displayed on the beautifully designed menu. “I wanna try them all!”

Belle laughs at her fiancé, shaking her head at Ruby’s whims. “This is only the first day, babe. Let’s take it easy,” she says softly, touching Ruby's arm tenderly.

Ruby and Belle are the perfect, balanced couple: one crazy and with no filter while the other is calm and has great patience for the other. Emma is very happy her friend Ruby has found someone so good for her, that she would do anything for. Emma longs for the feeling of love and passion, but this time, she wants it to fucking _work out_.

“I’m calling the waiter,” Mulan announces, raising her hand.

While they’re waiting for the waiter to come by, Elsa says, “We can’t get too drunk, though. We have a big day tomorrow in the water.”

They all nod in agreement and start ordering their drinks when the waiter arrives. After he’s gone, the conversation continues again:

“How have been the wedding plans, lovebirds?” Elsa questions with a sweet smile. They all turn to stare at Ruby and Belle.

“Well, we have set the official date: it’s May 15, and you all need to bring a date, so start looking for someone already, okay?” Ruby demands, causing the ‘single girls’ to roll their eyes at her.

“We already expected that,” Emma says, smiling genuinely at Ruby and Belle. She is just _so_ happy for them that she can’t bother for a second that they’re demanding they find a date. It really doesn’t matter, though, because she still has four months to look for someone.

“All right, what else have you planned?” Mulan prompts them, seeming eager to change the subject.

“We have chosen all the decorations already and agreed that _Granny’s_ caterer team will take care of the food,” Ruby explains. “And we’ll look for our wedding dresses just after the trip.”

“Great! You count me in, lovebirds!” Elsa exclaims with a smile.

“Me too! Can’t wait to see you guys in a wedding dress!” Emma exclaims excitedly.

“You can count me _off_ , Rubes. You know I love you guys, but I’m only up for the wedding ceremony,” Mulan speaks nonchalantly.

Two more rounds of drinks down and Emma starts feeling more chipper. The music has been rising for the past thirty minutes since they arrived and her pulse has been quickening with each downed drink. Alcohol always makes her feel bold, and she loves that part of herself. For a minute or so, Emma lets herself indulge in this atmosphere, closing her eyes to absorb the beat and letting her body move slowly to the beat of the DJ’s music. 

“Guys, I’ve been eyeing that woman at the bar for the past half hour and just realized she’s everyone’s type here. Who wants to give it a go?” Elsa playfully suggests.

Emma and Mulan are the first to turn to look at the woman, and soon Ruby and Belle also turn around.

Something deep awakens inside Emma as she looks at the woman and she knows that feeling comes purely from the alcohol she has ingested. It’s been a while since Emma has been on a date or even hit on someone at a bar. Maybe this could be her chance?

“That brunette is totally _Emma’s_ type,” Mulan comments with a scoff. “You know I prefer blondes, Elsa.” 

Elsa winks suggestively at Mulan, who just laughs with her. Emma observes Mulan who’s blushing and Ruby and Belle look at each other with knowing looks. Emma knows something could be happening between Elsa and Mulan, but she doesn’t have time to think about that right now because her eyes seem to be stuck behind her shoulder, where she can see the brunette sitting on a stool by herself, only able to see her profile side. Even from the awkward angle, she knows the woman is gorgeous, and something deep in her heart tells her to go over and entertain her.

“She is so pretty,” she confesses to her friends. “But there’s a high chance that she could be straight,” Emma releases a sigh at the thought. Most of the women she gets interested in are straight, anyway.

“I don’t know about that, Swan,” Elsa debates with a smirk. “At least four different men have approached her and offered her something, but she dutifully said no. Maybe that’s your cue.”

The blonde glances over her shoulder again, pondering if she really should go over there or not. She certainly could be rejected just like those men Elsa mentioned.

“I think you should go, Swan,” Belle expresses her opinion on the matter, causing the blonde to smile anxiously at her.

“You really think so?”

“Of course!”

“You have nothing to lose, blondie,” Ruby comments as well, and that finally gives Emma enough boost of confidence she needs inside of her. 

“You girls are right. I should go over there.” She slowly stands up from the cozy chair, feeling as confident as ever. “But if I get rejected, I’ll blame Elsa for showing me the woman!” She exasperates playfully, receiving laughs from all of her friends.

Before she fully leaves, Emma receives the middle finger from Elsa and a thumbs up from Ruby and Belle, while Mulan just nods her head reassuringly at her. Emma finally walks away from the safety of their circle, slowly approaching the lonely brunette who looks way more beautiful from up close. 

“Uh, hi!” She greets with a shy smile, feeling her cheeks heat up of embarrassment. God, she really hopes she is not making a _mistake_. 

When the brunette lays her eyes on Emma, the latter feels her hands sweat in anticipation. Honestly, the only other time her hands started sweating was during her first time with a woman. It makes no sense for her hands to sweat right now when she’s barely _introducing_ herself to this woman. God, she’s certainly _awful_ at flirting.

“Oh, hello,” the brunette quietly greets back and a small smirk forms on her lips to then quickly disappear.

With all courage she can muster, Emma asks, “May I sit here?” She awkwardly points to the stool right beside the brunette.

“Of course. I can’t tell you what to do.”

She bites her lip nervously at the curt response but sits down, either way, turning slightly on the stool to observe the gorgeous woman. “Thanks, uh… Can I buy you a drink?”

The brunette chuckles low, shaking her head from side to side as if she was already expecting something like that to come out of Emma’s mouth. That thought unsettles her instantly, but she remains with a friendly smile on her face. The woman looks at her discreetly for a moment, her smile showing something more just as her eyes look lascivious.

“Unfortunately I already bought myself a drink.”

“Well, what about another?”

The brunette smirks, then her teeth catch her bottom lip in a teasing bite. That simple motion of teeth against lips causes the knowing sensation in the pit of Emma’s stomach to intensify. Again the brunette looks at her again, this time a different glow passes through her eyes, something intense, something that Emma notices easily. But it’s gone as fast as it came.

“I’m sorry, but it’s getting late and I think I should head out,” the brunette says as she slips off the stool. Emma feels her heart sink in her chest instantly. “Maybe I’ll let you buy that drink tomorrow.” Again, her eyes show that intense glow that makes Emma shiver. The woman shrugs, smirking one last time at the blonde before she sashays away.

Well, _fuck_. Emma wasn’t even able to introduce herself and the woman already left. She fucking _sucks_. _Ugh_. 

It turns out the bartender must have noticed her disappointed face when the woman left because he is looking at her with extreme pity. She’s about to hop off the stool when he starts talking in his Indo-Aryan accent:

“You know, don’t feel so bad. She ditched every other man that approached her. Didn’t even let them sit down beside her.”

“But I was rejected too,” she mutters grimly. “I couldn’t even introduce myself.”

His pity smile only makes her feel _worse_. “On the brighter side, though, she let you at least _talk_ to her more than the others.”

Emma frowns, wondering for a moment if she had been lucky or not. Probably not. The woman didn’t say her name and neither did Emma. They have no way to contact each other because they didn’t exchange numbers. The island is too big for them to meet again, that is for sure. This whole ordeal was bullshit. Emma obviously is not lucky enough when it comes to _dating_ and _love_.

“Thanks for the pep talk, though,” she thanks the Maldivian bartender.

She is about to leave when he starts speaking again, “Choose a beverage, lady. On the house!” He excitedly offers, and that makes Emma smile genuinely.

“Thanks! Uh, I’ll take a Moho Mojito, please.”

“Coming right up!”

After receiving her free drink from the friendly bartender, Emma thanks him again and walks back to where her friends are throwing sympathy looks her way.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she angrily grumbles while sitting back on the cozy chair. “The ‘introducing myself’ part to the beautiful woman didn’t go as planned, but at least I got a drink on the house.”

The girls laugh, and Elsa and Mulan who are closer to Emma, pat her on the back, silently praising her for being cool.

“Well, I guess it wasn’t meant to be, right?” Ruby suggests with a shrug.

“Obviously not. I mean, she didn’t even let me introduce myself. I guess she wasn’t into any kind of flirting tonight,” Emma explains bitterly. She knows she shouldn’t be so bitter about her rejection; she knows her love life is _shit_ , but she still had hope. Now, not so much. 

“So you don’t know her name at all?” Elsa asks, her eyes showing pity again.

“No,” Emma frowns, then drinks a large gulp of her Mojito. “When I offered to buy her a drink, she apologized and said she should be going. It was lame, but I’m fine now. This drink is really strong,” she mutters while staring at the bubbly alcohol in her glass. “Let’s find a woman for you two, now!” She exclaims, pointing her glass to Mulan and her finger to Elsa.

Both of her friends scoff at her while Ruby and Belle just laugh at them to then find each other in a brief, yet enamoured kiss. As Emma watches them, her heart clenches inside her chest such is her longing to have something like they do. The one and only serious relationship she had was with a woman named Lily. They stayed together for five full years, and Emma even proposed to her. However, it all began to fall apart when Lily realized that it didn't feel right to be with Emma anymore. She found someone who was a bit more like herself and made the decision to leave Emma hoping that she would also find a person who would fulfill her needs. But it never worked out for Emma.

It had been the worst heartbreak ever. It took Emma too long to try recovering from that because she really thought Lily was the one she would marry and grow old together. Well, Emma had been stabbed in the back by destiny or God, or whatever there is out there looking out for everyone. The woman she loved is now probably going to get married to someone else. Her love life is fucked up and she is sure of it, especially _now_.

“Emma, you’re sulking. Please, stop,” Mulan groans beside her ear, causing the blonde to change her morose expression to an overly-excited one. 

Mulan is right; she should stop _sulking_. She’s here to have the utmost fun, and that’s what she is going to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think that woman at the bar is intriguing, well, press the 'next chapter' button so you can find out more or comment below why you think she left so abruptly like that ;)
> 
> Also, if you want to check out the amazing resort that is Niyama Private Islands Maldives, please click [here](https://www.panomatics.com/nextgen/maldives/niyama/index.html?startscene=37&_affclk=adn:3817:520938:Cj0KCQjws_r0BRCwARIsAMxfDRjagrHoazUjK9PJSWYF38lM2UZfrw84fpv5dsVT6ELf2m7JLo9QPl0aAuXdEALw_wcB:8002y1) and get even more immersed in Paradisiac...


	2. She Is Enigmatic

♬

_I wanna kiss you all over_

_And over again_

_I wanna kiss you all over_

_Till the night closes in_

— Exile

The first thought in Emma’s head when she wakes up is, unfortunately, that gorgeous brunette who rejected her last night. She rolls around in bed, ending up with her arms and legs wrapped around Mulan, who groans instantly at the sudden touch.

“Dreaming about the brunette from last night, Swan?”

Emma is the one to groan this time, shoving her friend playfully on the shoulder. “Shut up,” she grumbles, trying to go back to sleep.

“Why are you guys cuddling?” Elsa asks with annoyance in her tone. That comment quickly causes Mulan to push Emma’s arms away from her body and sit up in bed to look at Elsa.

“Emma was probably pretending I was that woman from last night,” she teases and Emma groans again, using the white, fluffy duvet to cover her face.

“Stop reminding me of my rejection, please!” Emma exasperates, her voice coming muffled by the covers.

“You’re too dramatic, Swan,” Elsa says with a laugh. “We should start getting ready for breakfast. I already told our thakuru to book snorkelling for us at 10 a.m. Ruby and Belle did the same thing.”

“Wow!” Mulan exclaims. “You woke up early. Did you go for a swim?”

“I sure did. Can’t waste time on this beautiful island, am I right?” She rhetorically queries, smiling at Mulan and Emma.

“You’re right. We have to make the most of it at all times,” Emma says after uncovering her face. “Let’s go!”

The girls get ready rather quickly and soon they’re walking the vegetated path that leads to Epicure to have breakfast. Their thakuru had suggested they get the complimentary bikes to move around the island, so it would be easier and quicker for them to arrive where they want in time.

After breakfast, they get inside a boat that will take them to the nearby house reefs of the island. They set off to snorkel and swim with hammerheads and coast with hawksbills, using waterproof cameras to capture the life underwater. They paddle through an octopus’s garden, glimpsing the intricate bouquets of coral that sprout from every surface. A school of fish breaks around them and turtles glide by their side happily and calmly in their natural habitat. All that scenery and her friend’s excitement surely distract Emma from thinking about that woman from yesterday. 

After one hour full of snorkelling, they finally head back, first stopping for lunch, getting their new bikes then heading back to the beach villa. They decide to relax on the calming beach with mimosas and champagne being served to them by their thakuru, along with good snacks taken from the villa’s Deli-In refrigerator.

While Emma is focused on getting a tan from the hot burning sun of 3 p.m., Elsa nudges her on the ribs hard, causing the blonde to whine at the hard nudge and interrupting her stupor. When she lifts her head to look at Elsa, she realizes her friend is pointing unabashedly at the brunette from last night, who is walking on the sand by herself as she looks at the vast ocean waters and, _luckily_ , hasn’t noticed the finger being pointed at her. 

Emma swallows hard as the exciting butterflies fill her stomach once again and her hands start sweating; and _no_ , it’s not because of the burning sun. There is just something about that woman that makes Emma feel all giddy and nervous like a horny teenager.

“I think she came from the Crescent,” Mulan comments, causing all heads to turn to her.

“Really? She must have lots of money,” Ruby complements, turning again to face the brunette who, by now, is not too far away.

“I’m not sure, but I think I’ve seen that woman somewhere before. I just can’t remember where,” Belle says thoughtfully.

“Well, we all saw her yesterday rejecting this dramatic blondie over here,” Elsa teases, pointing her thumb at Emma who rolls her eyes at her friend as she tries to calm her heart palpitations.

Honestly, she has no idea why she’s so fucking _nervous_.

They all watch as the brunette places a towel on the sand not too far from the blue water, and sets her shoulder-bag on top of it. Then, she starts undressing, causing Emma to become very flustered and the knowing feeling of _arousal_ to appear in the pit of her stomach. The woman is wearing a red swimsuit that suits her body perfectly, and fuckity fuck, she is _hot._

“Oh, my God! Emma is drooling for the hot woman!” Ruby comments with a teasing tone, and Emma swallows hard, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks.

“Stop it, Ruby.”

“She is so _hot,”_ Elsa expresses with a dreamy sigh. Emma hates the fact that all of a sudden she is jealous of her friend thinking the woman is hot. Obviously she is _out of control_ for thinking this way.

“You should go over there, Swan,” Mulan quietly encourages.

“What? Are you crazy?” She asks in denial. “Why would I go over there to be rejected again?”

“You might not be rejected again,” Belle says matter-of-factly. “You said that the woman would let you buy her a drink today, right?” Emma reluctantly nods. “Maybe this is fate giving you another chance.”

Emma rolls her eyes, watching as Ruby presses a loving kiss to her fiancé’s lips because of what she just said. Those two fiercely believe in fate and true love, and _bla bla bla._

“What do you girls think?” She directs her question to Elsa and Mulan, who are looking at her with amusement on their faces.

“I definitely think you should go over there and embarrass you some more,” Mulan teases mockingly.

“Yeah, totally! We’ll be watching you the whole time, Swan,” Elsa agrees, also mockingly.

Emma glowers at them, but soon her eyes find that beauty laying by herself on the sand: the brunette is on her stomach, facing the sea, fully concentrated on the book in her hands and not at all bothered by the ocean breeze tousling her short, dark hair. There is just _something_ about her that intrigues Emma to no end; she feels a palpable pull towards her and can’t deny to herself how stupid this feeling is, but can’t turn down the desire to go over and chat with the woman either, even if she _knows_ she is going to be rejected again.

“Get a bottle of champagne from the fridge and take it over there with you. She might accept that drink, after all,” Mulan advises, making Emma feel even more anxious with the ideas and encouragements.

“C'mon, Emma! You’re wasting time!” Ruby exasperates, prompting the blonde to finally come out of her body petrification.

“Ugh, I’ll go get the champagne and some glasses myself. You talk some courage into her!” Elsa orders Mulan as she walks the narrow path to reach the villa. 

“It’s time to get back on the map, Emms,” Mulan encourages once again. “You should use this trip for the favour of your private life because we all know you’ll go back to the workaholic you are when the vacation is over.”

Emma sighs loudly, admitting her defeat. She knows her friends are right. She is an extreme workaholic back in New York and she certainly could use some good distraction here, but last night’s rejection buried her boldness at the bottom of the ocean. How will she retrieve it back? She actually doesn’t know.

“Okay, I have two glasses, one bottle of champagne and one shot of whisky for liquid courage,” Elsa presents when she comes back. Emma smiles at her supportive friend and grabs all of it from her arms.

First, she quickly downs the shot of whisky, then stands up to start walking towards the brunette. Well, it’s now or never...

Emma walks slowly, taking her time to try and control her bubbling emotions. She must look like an idiot carrying a bottle of champagne and two glasses. It would be very embarrassing if the brunette rejected her now, when she was on the full deal, offering so much. Well, she’s already walking towards her and there’s no turning back now.

As the brunette is facing the ocean, Emma is greeted with the view of her plump assets up to the sun, encased in a thin red swimsuit that displays a _lot_ of skin. Her throat becomes dry all of a sudden, so she swallows the lump in her throat and focuses on making sure her feet would get her to the woman, even if her brain keeps protesting the imminent rejection.

After what seemed like long minutes, Emma finally stops in front of the brunette, realizing only then that she hasn’t put on any shorts to cover her body dressed in a blue bikini. She’s not ashamed of her body, not at all; but she should have thought better before coming here almost half-naked, right? Too late now, though.

She clears her dry throat before greeting with a shy smile, “Uh, hey!” 

Beautiful, soulful, chocolate eyes sweep over Emma’s form from the bottom to the top, slowly, as if she is drawing every single piece of the blonde’s body in her mind. That intense look makes the blonde shiver and also squirm under the scrutiny, but she tries not to show any of her emotions and pretends she’s not freaking out on the inside. 

The brunette stares open-mouthed at Emma for a few seconds. Then, she mutters, “It’s you.”

Emma chuckles awkwardly. “Huh, yeah, it’s me from the bar last night.”

The gorgeous brunette switches positions, quickly standing up to face Emma to be on the same height. “What a coincidence to meet you here,” her tone is calm, but the blonde can see in her eyes that she is slightly suspicious by Emma’s sudden appearance.

“Yeah, I could say the same. I’m not stalking you or anything, I just… I’m staying at the beach villa over there, number 48.” She points to the left side, where she _knows_ her friends are watching their encounter with hawk eyes. The woman follows her finger with her eyes, observing the spot where Emma’s villa is. Before the brunette can say anything, she continues, “I thought that, uh, maybe we could have that drink you said you might accept it today?” She shyly questions, showing the woman her cutest smile.

“Oh,” the brunette mutters, seeming surprised. “I… I didn’t think I would see you again.”

Emma chuckles awkwardly, swallowing her embarrassment down. “I didn’t think I would either.” For a few seconds, they both keep staring at each other and Emma finds herself becoming lost in those intense brown eyes. She watches as the brunette’s eyebrows arch inquisitively, probably waiting for her to say something. “So, would you like to have a drink with me?”

The shy smile the brunette offers her relaxes her a little, knowing that this is probably a good sign.

“Yeah, I think I’ll give you the chance today,” the woman says, which makes the blonde’s face break in a genuine smile. 

“Great!”

“Would you like to sit?” The brunette asks, pointing to her towel splayed over on the sand.

“Sure,” she says as she prompts herself to sit beside that intriguing woman on the fluffy towel; not too close, yet not too far. She pours champagne into the glasses and offers one to the other woman. “The sun is too hot, so I’m sorry in advance if the champagne is not cold enough.” 

“That’s okay,” the brunette mutters and drinks a dainty sip of the champagne.

Emma nods with a smile, very happy that she is here right now, talking to this woman who seems likely to talk to her today. She feels ecstatic for not being fully rejected like last night.

“Uh, I’m Emma. What’s your name?” She introduces herself then drinks a large sip of champagne to calm her nerves.

The brunette ponders for a while, staring at the blonde with a smirk on her lips and a different glint in her eyes that she didn’t have yesterday. “You can call me Gina.”

Emma has never met anyone named Gina. The name is not uncommon, but it’s usually a nickname for another name, like Georgina, Regina, or something. With curiosity taking over her brain, she asks:

“ _Gina_? Is it short for something?”

The brunette shakes her head and quickly responds, “No. Just call me Gina, Emma.”

The slow and sultry way Gina says _Emma_ causes goosebumps to appear on her skin. She smiles, despite herself, hoping the brunette doesn’t notice the shivers on her body. 

“All right, _Gina_ ,” she emphasizes the name on her tongue and loves it immediately. “How long have you been on the island?”

The brunette squints her eyes at Emma, probably pondering if she should continue this conversation. Emma’s nervous jitters intensify.

“Just… a few days. And you?”

“Uh, I got here yesterday.”

Gina leans backwards on her elbows, stares right into the blue ocean then turns her head to face Emma again, who couldn’t stop herself from noticing the way that red bathing suit fits perfectly to the woman’s slim body.

She is licking her lips unconsciously when the woman asks, “Is it your first time here, Emma?” Once again, her name rolls on Gina’s tongue and, this time, it sounds way more pleasing than the first time.

Emma clears her throat, trying to send away the images of that beautiful body displayed in front of her eyes. “Yeah, I’m actually making my dream come true by coming here,” she confesses, smiling cheekily to the brunette who mimics her smile for a few seconds.

“I guess everyone dreams of coming to the Maldives one day.”

“Yeah, that’s probably true. It’s not your first time here, though?” She asks, her instincts telling her she wants to know everything about this woman already, but she feels like Gina is a bit guarded to start spilling out everything about her life. 

“No, it’s my second time and the first I’ve come by myself,” the brunette responds and drinks calmly another sip of her champagne.

“You’re here all by _yourself?_ ” Emma asks with surprise and the brunette nods. “Wow, you’re brave!”

The brunette frowns. “Brave? Why do you think that?”

“I mean, I don’t know if I would come all this way by _myself,_ to have fun with… myself,” she confesses meekly. 

The brunette chuckles. “Well, I… I like my own presence,” she explains. “And I needed to get away for a bit.” Her view, once again, is directed at the vast sea as a lost expression takes over her face. Emma observes Gina for long seconds, finding the woman more intriguing by the minute their conversation progresses. 

“Oh,” Emma mutters, still wondering about what could this woman, who has come all this way, to get away from. While they both get lost in thoughts, Emma refills their glasses with more champagne. Then, unable to hide her curiosity, she asks, “If you don’t mind me asking — what do you need to get away from?”

The brunette smiles weakly at the blonde’s question, shaking her head to the side. “Life, mostly.” She shrugs, then continues, “Sometimes life can throw us off balance and maybe this place is what everyone needs to focus on the good things and leave the bad ones behind.”

Emma nods slowly at Gina’s thought, unable to hold back a smile as she stares at the brunette with newfound fondness. They both take another sip of their champagne while looking into the aqua-coloured ocean. 

“So, you came here with your friends, I assume?” Gina starts. “The ones over there who have been watching us for the past few minutes,” she assumes, nodding with her head at the direction where Emma’s friends are.

The blonde feels her face warming up but tries to be composed and not embarrass herself because of her friends’ unabashed looks. She grimaces once her eyes meet Gina’s again. “I’m sorry. They encouraged me to come here and talk to you, so they’re probably very curious about what’s going on,” she explains, feeling her face get redder.

The brunette is narrowing her eyes at her and that makes Emma a bit uncomfortable under the scrutiny. “Are you not brave enough to come here by yourself, without the encouragement of your friends?” The brunette boldly asks with a hint of a smirk on her lips.

Emma blushes even harder, feeling a tingling sensation behind her neck because of the teasing. She actually likes it, even if it is embarrassing her.

“Well, you rejected me yesterday at the bar, so I had to think a _lot_ before approaching you again,” she explains quietly, avoiding Gina’s eyes as she pours more champagne into their glasses.

When she finally looks into those intense brown eyes again, she realizes Gina is blushing too. And she is even more beautiful like this. 

“I don’t… date much,” the brunette quietly says, moving to sit cross-legged on the towel.

“Oh,” Emma mutters, feeling a bit disappointed. “Do you… are you into women?” She boldly asks, watching as Gina blushes even harder and fidgets on the towel, her eyes avoiding Emma’s at all costs.

She could surely be rejected again. This was probably a mistake. She shouldn’t have approached this woman again-

“Emma, would you like to go for a swim?”

The blonde is obviously taken aback by the sudden suggestion, but boy, she is not going to complain. Maybe she still has a chance?

“Yeah, sure. I’d love to,” she says, giving a shy smile to the woman as she watches her stand quickly.

“But not here. At the pier, by the Crescent,” Gina adds just as Emma is standing in front of her.

“Oh,” Emma mutters, slightly surprised by the change of plans. “Where is it? I’ve never been there.”

“It’s that way.” Gina points to the left side, towards the fancy water villas of the Crescent, where she was coming from when Emma saw her earlier. “Shall we go?”

“Yes, sure.” She smiles reassuringly before continuing, “I’ll just take the bottle away and be right back, okay?” Emma asks, looking intently into those brown eyes, wanting desperately for the brunette not to leave when she goes back to put the bottle away.

“Okay, I will wait here,” Gina confirms, giving the blonde a small smile. The answer is encouragement enough for Emma to run back to where her friends are, feeling happy for the conversation she had and the anticipation for more. She doesn’t know if anything will happen between them, but she damn well hopes so. Gina is an intriguing woman that doesn’t talk much about her life or herself, and that was easy to gather from her personality. However, Emma wants to find out a lot more about her and also her attitudes. God knows how much she wants to kiss those plump lips that look so enticing.

“Oh no, please don’t be back already,” Ruby whines when Emma stops in front of them.

The blonde rolls her eyes. “No, I’m not. She invited me to go to the pier by the Crescent,” she explains with a foolish grin, moving quickly to place the champagne bottle and glasses on the table on the deck of the beach villa. She also takes the opportunity to put some shorts and a baggy shirt on, knowing the sun would set soon and the air would get chiller.

“You _have_ to kiss her, Em,” Mulan advises with seriousness when the blonde stops in front of them once again. “She’s flirting with you, right?”

Emma frowns, sighing. “To be honest, I’m not sure… but I’m willing to find out.” She waves at them and turns to leave. 

“Don’t forget we have the jungle restaurant reservation!” Elsa reminds Emma as she is walking back to the brunette, who, by now, has put on her white, short dress and is folding up her towel to place inside her bag.

“Hi, I’m back,” she says as soon as she stops in front of Gina.

“You look flushed,” the brunette comments with a small smirk on her lips, and obviously that makes Emma’s cheeks redden.

“My friends were teasing me, that’s all,” she says, trying to make her burning cheeks go back to normal.

“Oh,” she mutters, that smirk still present. Then she turns and starts walking away in a beat. Emma follows her like a helpless puppy. “So, what brings you here to the Maldives?”

She smiles sheepishly at the brunette, happy that she’s interested in her. “Well, I came with my friends, and two of them are engaged with each other.” Gina’s eyes brighten at that, but she doesn’t say anything. Emma continues, “We wanted to come together to, somehow, celebrate their bachelorette party, even if the wedding is like… in five months from now.”

“Oh, I get it. It’s hard to get together for a trip.”

“It is _very_ complicated, and January was the only month we could arrange to travel together.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

They smile at each other and fall into a comfortable silence. The powdery and silky soft, yet firm sand under her feet brings a calming feeling to her body, especially when her arm brushes against Gina’s for a few seconds. It sends a sensual thrill from the soles of her feet up into her brain. That is the weirdest sensation Emma has ever felt; her heart plummets in her chest each step they take together. It’s honestly very weird to be feeling this way just by the mere touch of that woman’s arm on hers and the white sand under her feet.

A few minutes later they get to the pier, both walking slowly through the wooden path towards the deeper part of the ocean as they watch the sun shining in the sky. They’re still silent, and the tension between them gets thick, causing Emma to blush at the minimum contact from Gina’s arm against her own. It’s stupid to feel like this; her body and mind are acting like a stupid teenager. It kinda feels overwhelming.

Then, Emma hesitantly looks up at Gina, realizing seconds later that the brunette is looking at her back. The swirls of emotion she sees in those brown orbs makes her gasp: lust and desire. However, before she can ponder about it further, Gina yanks Emma to her and covers her mouth with hers in a hungry kiss. As their lips crush together, the blonde feels like she is walking on air. It is magic, the way her lips connect with hers. Gina’s mouth is so warm, the lingering taste of champagne still present, the caress of her lips softer than she could have imagined and she opens her mouth with a low moan, shivering when their tongues meet. Every inch of Emma’s body is tingling and she can feel her arousal begin to course through her body in waves. This is only their first kiss and she is already eager for _more_.

Drunk on endorphins, her only desire is to touch the woman, to move her hands under the smooth summer layers of her white dress and feel her toned thighs and taut bottoms. In moments, the soft caress has become more firm as she savours Gina’s plump lips and the quickening of her breath matches her own. Emma knows that a kiss like this is a beginning, a promise of much more to come. When they break apart for air, Gina rests her forehead against hers and gathers some much-needed oxygen. Her undeniable smirk tells Emma everything she is currently feeling and the blonde smiles back.

Emma is obviously waiting for more, but Gina suddenly leans away and starts pulling her dress up. Emma’s mouth waters and her body becomes a hot mess as the view of that gorgeous body is displayed before her eyes again. Her horny impulses tell her to grab Gina again and have her way with her right there, but she knows she can’t do that. Gina is simply undressing so they can get into the water.

Suddenly, the brunette is diving into the water in a perfect jump. Emma remains on her spot, watching as Gina swims to a deeper part of the ocean, emerges, then swims back. Emma honestly thinks she’s watching a mermaid swim, holy shit. When Gina gets to the stairs of the pier, she prompts herself up on her arms so she can face a starstruck Emma, who is staring at her with dazed eyes.

“Are you coming, Emma?” Gina asks, a teasing tone present in her voice that causes butterflies to appear in her stomach.

“Yeah, sorry. I got distracted,” she answers lamely while rapidly pulling off her shorts and shirt. She approaches the stairs, looks at the small smile Gina is giving her and then jumps in; unfortunately not as well as the other woman. When she emerges, she naturally swims towards the brunette, who is holding her body overwater with the stairs.

“You’re a very good kisser,” Emma says, not giving the other woman time to answer as she cups her cheek, leaning in for another kiss, this one slower than the first. She takes the opportunity to savour more of those plump, enticing lips and tongue, loving the way their mouths know exactly what to do to guide each other towards a perfect and delicious tangle. 

Emma’s hands move to run through Gina’s short, dark hair, gripping the thick locks tightly as she angles her head to deepen the kiss. The brunette wraps her arms around Emma’s neck, greedily pulling the blonde against her body. They’re barely holding themselves on the stairs of the pier, and the position of their bodies is super uncomfortable. However, Emma can't think of anything but this gorgeous brunette and how much she wants to have her in her lap, so they can kiss more and more, touch better-

Gina breaks the kiss abruptly and throws herself into the water, staying close by the stairs. That’s when Emma hears some noise of people standing at the other end of the wooden pier. It’s a couple that is looking out at the waters and is probably just walking around to explore the island. They wave at Emma amicably and she waves back at them, her head turning back to Gina a moment later who is holding herself on the last steps of the stairs, her face and body hidden from prying eyes. She has a worried look in her eyes, and that unsettles Emma. Why would she be worried right now? Is it because of the couple that just came by?

“Are… are you okay?” She asks, getting worried too all of a sudden.

Gina nods slowly, giving Emma a small smile. “Are they gone?”

“Uh,” she turns to look at the couple, realizing they’re entering the vegetation path that leads to the other side of the beach villas. “Yeah, they’re gone. Why did you hide?”

The brunette rises from the water and sits on the stairs beside Emma. “I… I don’t like to be exposed to the public eye,” she answers dryly, her eyes focused on the ocean and sun.

“Oh… okay, I get it,” Emma says, giving the woman a small smile, even if she feels something gnawing inside of her, something that she _longs_ to know about Gina but feels like the brunette won’t tell her.

“The sunset here is so beautiful,” Gina comments, her voice calm and low, still watching the sun as it’s beaming a bright orange shade and it slowly begins to descend from the sky. 

“Everything about this place is beautiful,” the blonde answers, wanting to take a photo of the sunset and one of _Gina_ , because she looks amazing in this light; so incredibly beautiful and even more enigmatic. Maybe even more beautiful than the sun itself.

“Emma,” Gina mutters with a chuckle, finally noticing how intensely the blonde is looking at her.

Emma smiles sheepishly at the brunette but wants to kiss her again so _badly_. She hasn’t had enough of those delicious lips yet. But now that she knows Gina doesn’t like to… well, _make out_ in the public, she won’t push her. However, the hope that things can progress between them after this afternoon together consolidates.

“Emma, I should go,” Gina mutters, finally craning her head to look at Emma. “It’s going to get dark soon and you must have some plans with your friends tonight, right?”

The blonde nods slowly, getting herself distracted in deep, brown orbs for a few seconds as the disappointment of their _encounter_ not lasting long settles in. Will they see each other again? Does Gina want to kiss her again? Because Emma _definitely_ wants to kiss her again.

“You’re right, we should go,” she says, the disappointment evident in her voice. Emma doesn’t give Gina enough time to realize how upset she is because she stands up quickly and starts getting dressed.

The brunette does the same, but she keeps glancing at Emma each minute, even if they aren’t saying anything. Then, Emma’s attention is stolen again when the woman speaks once more, “Would you mind accompanying me to my water villa?” Gina suddenly asks, a small smirk on her lips and eyes hopeful as she looks at Emma.

Her mood instantly brightens and she gives Gina a grin, nodding her head as a response. As they start walking the narrow path of the pier towards the sand, Emma encases them in a conversation, “So, where are you staying on the island?”

The woman smiles before responding, “I’m staying at the Crescent, right there.” She points out to a quintet of extraordinary villas huddled together offshore, the only way there being another wooden path on top of the aqua-clean ocean water, similar to the pier. It’s actually not too far from Emma’s own beach villa, but the Crescent can be described as 'far from the bustle' and probably it’s very much luxurious inside. Emma had seen some photos when she was booking the rooms.

“Wow, it must be cool staying there,” Emma says excitedly, realizing Ruby had assumed right when she saw Gina walking on the beach: she had indeed come from the Crescent. She is probably wealthy, after all.

“Well, the luxury is tempting,” Gina comments, smirking at Emma in a way that turns her legs like jelly. 

Emma clears her throat, trying to send the dirty thoughts way because is _not_ appropriate. “It’s too expensive, no?” She asks.

“Well, a bit, but I like the privacy and secludedness that comes with it.”

“Along with the rest of the amazing benefits and the blue ocean at your bed?”

Gina chuckles throatily, slowly nodding her head. “You could say that.”

Soon, they’re passing through the vegetation and end up in front of the wooden path that leads to the secluded area of the Crescent. They walk in silence this time, side by side, their arms brushing once again. It feels exhilarating to be this close to Gina, and Emma can’t help but think of _any_ idea so they can meet each other again tomorrow. Emma has a feeling in her gut that Gina won’t accept it… and she will be rejected again, as predicted.

When she comes to her senses, they’re stopping in front of a locked door, at the smaller water villa on the left, that gave them a view of the pier they long kissed minutes ago. Emma puts her hands inside her back pockets as her eyes meet brown.

“This is where I’m staying,” Gina says, making a motion with her hands around the space made with luxurious wood.

“This is nice. You have the view of the ocean just for yourself,” she comments sheepishly, wanting nothing but to ask Gina _when_ they can see each other again. Throwing all of her insecurities out of the window, she asks, “So, I… can I… can I see you tomorrow?” Emma stutters, unable to keep her anxious nerves as they press her to fish for some more alone time with this woman. She wants to get to know her more, and kissing her again is definitely on the list.

Gina smiles at her but tries to hide it by biting her lower lip. “Well, I guess that can be arranged. What would you like to do tomorrow?”

Emma’s insecurities are _literally_ thrown out of the window, and she smiles brightly at the beautiful woman who didn’t reject her a second time.

“Uh, I heard there’s a movie under the stars at 8 pm or something. It’s not far from where we are, actually. It’s private, so you must… you know, enjoy it,” she explains, not happy with herself for stuttering too much.

“That’s a good idea. I’d like to watch a movie under the stars… with you,” Gina says, her eyes taunting and mysterious. She bites her lower lip again and Emma feels like she’s going to _melt_ in front of this woman right now.

She grins like a fool at Gina, her cheeks blushing such is the happiness she is feeling inside. “Great, I’m glad you want to. I’ll arrange everything with my thakuru tonight.”

“All right, I’ll meet you there tomorrow, at 8 p.m. Okay?”

Emma’s detective mind wants desperately to know _why_ Gina didn’t even think about exchanging numbers with her. That is unusual nowadays, but she’ll let it slide. She still doesn’t know much about the woman, but she certainly knows that she wants to spend more time with her.

“Yeah, that’s great,” she agrees, nodding again and smiling brightly.

Before silence can dominate the space between them, Emma is rather surprised when Gina grasps the back of her neck to initiate a kiss. Emma’s hands instantly fall around those slim hips, pulling the brunette against herself, almost moaning again at the feeling of that gorgeous body pressed against hers. This kiss is much slower than their first _and_ second; also, much less heated. Emma is glad for that because how much harder would it be to leave this woman here if she were so damn horny?

Too soon, Gina is breaking the kiss and opening the door to her luxurious suite.

“Have fun tonight, Emma,” it's the last thing she says before leaving Emma by herself on her doorstep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gina seems like a difficult woman to decipher somehow... What will Emma do about it? How will their next 'encounter' go? Comment below to make an author happy!!!
> 
> Ps: The lyrics of the songs that appear in each chapter or that it will eventually appear on the fic somehow is on this [Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1urmaJYLKNIpa6phTs1ifl?si=-ixgdu45RX-jKacVYhXviA). I've had so much fun listening to these amazing songs while writing Paradisiac... I hope you like it too! <3


	3. She Is Unparalleled

♬

_I still find us here_

_My mind draws you near_

_It's not rush that we can't keep_

_And it's not touch that we all need_

— Carmody

Emma steps down the path of the Tribal African restaurant, along with her friends, and they’re greeted by a Maasai warrior who welcomes them with a Dawa, an East African fancy cocktail. The liquid drenches her taste buds with honey and lime, and Emma feels even happier at the new taste her mouth is discovering. After kissing Gina one last time for the night, Emma hasn’t been able to stop thinking about the brunette and has kept her friends in the dark about what happened between them because she prefers to hold the suspense and tell them during dinner. Of course, Mulan and Elsa threatened to punch her and force her to tell, but she chose to remain silent just to keep the excitement of secrecy. Based on her constant foolish grins, her friends probably know already that her encounter with Gina went well.

“I have never been to Africa, but this sure feels like it,” Mulan comments as they are led by the waiter towards their reserved table. 

This African restaurant channels a 'modern campsite dining' with a fire pit, tiki torches, sandy floor, jungle canopy and barbecue grilling meat and seafood. This place certainly feels like an exploration of a whole new place within Niyama.

The minute after their waiter leaves with their first order of drinks, all eyes turn to Emma:

“All right, Swan, _spill_ ,” Elsa commands, staring at her with too much seriousness.

She smiles at her friends, feeling the excitement bubble inside of her body. “Well, as you may have noticed my grins, my time with Gina was very interesting and-”

“So, her name is Gina, then?” Mulan interrupts.

“Yeah, it’s just Gina. We talked for a few minutes at the beach while all of you watched us with hawk eyes, may I say,” Emma complains, a hint of amusement in her voice. Her friends were curious and probably just as anxious about how the encounter would turn out.

“No apologies there, blondie,” Ruby says, giving her a smug smile. “You two look aesthetically pleasing together, even from afar.”

Emma rolls her eyes. “You barely saw her-”

“Believe me, we saw enough of her to say that she is drop-dead gorgeous!” Mulan exasperates as Belle nods in agreement.

“What did you talk about?” Belle asks, swinging her arm around Ruby’s shoulder carelessly.

“She told me she came here all by herself, needing to get away from life, and stuff.”

“All by _herself_?” Ruby questions, her eyes bulging.

“Yeah, I was just as surprised. She is kinda mysterious and very intriguing, to be honest. When I asked her why she rejected me at the bar last night, she simply said, ‘I don’t date much,’” Emma explains, doing the air quotes. “I don’t know how, but at that moment I asked her if she even _liked_ women, which she didn’t answer, by the way-”

“This is weird,” Mulan interrupts with a frown.

“I know, but then, out of nowhere, she asked me if I’d like to go for a swim at the pier by the Crescent.”

“And what happened there, Emma? For God’s sake!” Elsa impatiently asks. 

Emma grins like a fool remembering everything.

“She kissed me when we got there. She honestly seemed way more comfortable with me away from your prying eyes,” she accused, pointing her index finger playfully at her friends.

“She really sounds mysterious and intriguing,” Belle complements just as the waiter is coming back with their drinks and some menus.

They choose that time to order their food quickly to the waiter, and when he leaves, all eyes are back on Emma again:

“How was it?” Mulan asks, smiling devilishly at Emma.

“Since when do you all care about how good are the kisses I share with women?” She retorts at all of them. They have never been so interested in her love life with details like this.

“Emma, that woman is _gorgeous,_ and from what you’ve said, she’s interesting and mysterious. We are just as intrigued as you,” Ruby answers matter-of-factly.

“She is a damn good kisser,” she finally caves and her girlfriends pat her on the back encouragingly.

“You go, girl!” Mulan chants.

“I’m so glad you weren’t rejected a second time, Swan,” Elsa comments slyly, causing Emma to roll her eyes at her.

“Yeah, me too,” she replies with a smile. “And you were right, Ruby.” She turns to her brunette friend. “She’s staying at the Crescent.”

“Damn, she must have money,” Ruby says.

“Probably.”

“What about tomorrow? Are you going to meet her again?” Belle asks, wiggling her eyebrows playfully.

“I actually invited her to watch a movie under the stars with me tomorrow,” she explains, smiling smugly because she literally had this idea when she was right in front of Gina, sweating and wanting desperately to find an excuse to see her again.

“Movie under the stars, huh?” Mulan teases, bumping her shoulder with her own playfully.

“It’s very private, that’s why I chose it.”

“I guess she will like it since she’s a private person,” Elsa comments, winking at the blonde.

“You could even get laid tomorrow, Swan,” Mulan teases her again and Emma rolls her eyes at her, even if she longs for that happening with Gina tomorrow.

However, Emma doesn’t know what could happen tomorrow. She knows that she really enjoyed kissing Gina, and certainly would like more to happen between them, but first things _first_ : she has yet to book the cinema with her thakuru for tomorrow.

Twenty minutes later, their food arrives and, _finally_ , the topic of conversation on the table changes to Ruby and Belle’s wedding. Emma takes the opportunity of the focus being on her friends to start to wonder about how tomorrow is going to be like. She is so damn excited and so _glad_ Gina agreed to meet her again. Emma is indeed intrigued by the woman’s personality, and she wants to get to know her more… _way_ more, if she’s allowed to.

* * *

♬

_I feel you in my skin_

_Can you feel me in your skin?_

_I still want you_

_I still find you_

— Carmody

“Fuck, I don’t know what to wear,” Emma complains to Elsa and Mulan, frowning as she stares at her messy suitcase. 

“Oh, Emma. Poor Emma,” Mulan mocks, shaking her head negatively.

“I’m serious, guys. What do I wear to watch a movie?”

Elsa rolls her eyes. “Emma, you’re on an island. You have to wear those light clothes that you brought.”

“Right,” she nods. “What about shorts and a blouse?”

“Scoot over,” Elsa says, pushing Emma away from her suitcase. The blonde starts rummaging inside Emma’s messy suitcase, pulling a sea-green, long-sleeved silky blouse and light denim shorts. “Here, this is _perfect_ ,” Elsa chants with a smile, handing the outfit to Emma.

“Thanks, Els,” she says, quickly moving to the fancy bathroom to put the clothes on. She comes out a few minutes later, brushing her hair and drying it at the same time with the hairdryer. 

“Want me to do your makeup?” Elsa offers with a smile.

“Sure! You know I suck at it.”

Elsa points to the queen-sized bed and Emma dutifully sits, watching as Mulan moves to sit by her side while Elsa starts working on her face.

“I bet you won’t sleep here tonight,” the brunette teases, nudging Emma on the ribs playfully.

A smile graces her lips as nerves and excitement bubbles inside her body. “I sincerely hope I won’t,” she responds with a smug smirk.

“She’s really hot, Swan. You got lucky,” Elsa comments as she applies pink blush to Emma’s face.

Emma grins, remembering the amazing kisses she shared with Gina. “I know. I really hope the movie goes well.”

“All right, you’re all set,” Elsa says, finishing up and patting Emma’s shoulder.

“Great! Thanks, Els.”

“So, are you excited?” Mulan asks, nudging her on the ribs once again.

“Too excited,” she responds, moving to her suitcase to spray lots of perfume on herself. “I’ll get going. Bye, girls! Wish me luck.” She waves at her friends, opening the front door that leads to the vegetation path between the villas. 

She finds Sami waiting outside of the door and smiles brightly at him. “All setup?”

“Yes, Miss Emma. No one else scheduled a movie tonight, so it will be very private, just like you asked of me.”

“That’s awesome! Thanks, Sami.” He smiles back at her and she starts to walk towards the cinema under the stars with her heart pounding loudly against her ribcage.

Emma doesn’t usually feel this anxious when she’s about to meet someone for a date. It’s been a long while since she has felt like a foolish teenage girl for someone. She just hopes it all works out and she and Gina can have some fun together.

When she sees the path leading to the Crescent, she sighs wistfully, wishing to spot Gina but the woman is nowhere to be seen. 

“Looking for someone, dear?” _That_ voice says, startling her and making her look ahead.

A smile blooms on her face instantly at the sight of Gina dressed in a Turkish-blue slip dress with pink wildflowers and sandals on her feet. Emma feels the sudden urge to pull Gina’s body against hers and kiss those plump lips again, but she won’t do that now; they’re on their first date, even if they kissed yesterday already. Emma has to act smoothly because she doesn’t know Gina that well yet.

“Fancy meeting you here,” she comments with a grin, walking slowly towards the other woman, so they can continue to walk side by side towards the secluded area of the cinema. “You look really pretty,” Emma compliments, unable to hold her tongue as her eyes sweep over Gina’s form once again, relishing on the way the dress clings to her curves perfectly.

“Thank you, Emma,” Gina says, her cheeks a bit red. “You look pretty too.”

It’s easy for Emma to get lost in brown eyes as they stare at her so deeply, so intensely. Emma feels a pull towards Gina that makes her skin shiver, her heart pump harder and her legs turn into jelly.

“I think the cinema is right on that corner,” Gina mentions, moving her feet again and, surprisingly, tangling the tips of her fingers around Emma’s to bring her along, since Emma had gotten lost in her beauty.

“Good evening, ladies!” The hotel manager, Hafidh, greets them politely with his hands behind his back like the thakurus usually do. “Welcome to the cinema under the stars. I’m here to set up your movie and then I’ll leave you for your privacy.”

Emma and Gina nod along, smiling at him, as they look around the clearing space fringed by white sands and exotic fauna and flora. 

“We have a few hors d’oeuvres of your liking, Prosecco and a popcorn machine over there,” Hafidh continues, gesticulating around the offered treats that leave Emma’s mouth wide open. This resort is just the fucking _best_.

The tall and expensively large TV screen is placed against a wall of plants and trees, and looking over, you can glance at the endless ocean and listen to the soothing sound of the waves in the background. Sitting a few meters away from the large screen is a single rounded table covered by a silky white tablecloth and the fancy hors d’oeuvres splayed out, along with the Prosecco inside a bucket with ice and two small candles on each side of the table. There are two plastic, clear glasses of wine beside the Prosecco and other snacks that Emma thinks must be nuts and cherries. Behind the table is a wooden rounded red lounger that looks more like a bed than anything else, looking comfortable enough to spend the whole night, that’s for sure. Following behind the lounger is the machine of homemade popcorn and a small concrete cabin where the technical gadgets of the cinema are placed. Small tiki torches and lanterns are displayed around the whole clearing, on the best spots, per se, lighting up the screen perfectly and leaving the rest of the job for the starry night sky. 

“This is really beautiful, Hafidh, thank you!” Emma praises animatedly. “What movie are we watching tonight?” She asks him, glancing at Gina to observe her.

“It’s a movie called _Pretty Woman,_ ” he answers, smiling politely at them. “I will set the movie and let you enjoy it. Have a good evening!” Hafidh says goodbye and walks towards the cabin, leaving Emma and Gina by themselves.

“Shall we lay down?” The blonde asks with a smile, motioning to the inviting red-lounger waiting for them.

“Of course,” Gina responds, moving along Emma to sit on the lounger just as the screen lights up with the movie on. The brunette glances at the screen then focuses on the bottle of Prosecco available to them. She fills the two plastic glasses as Emma watches her every move with a tender smile on her face.

“I’ve never watched _Pretty Woman,_ ” Emma comments nonchalantly just to instigate small conversation. 

Gina’s dark brown eyes look widely at her in an instant. “What? It’s a _classic!_ How have you never watched it?” The brunette asks, incredulity in her voice, which just makes Emma chuckle at her reaction.

“Uh, yeah. I’m not a big fan of movies,” she confesses, grasping the glass of Prosecco offered to her.

When she looks back at the other woman, she sees surprise in her features. “You aren’t?”

Emma smiles. “I mean, I love _cop_ movies, but I’m not a fan of romance.”

“Hm,” Gina hums quietly. “I hope you like this one, though. It’s one of the greatest romantic movies of Hollywood.”

“Oh,” she mutters, absorbing the information with a cheeky smile. “Are you a fan of romantic movies, Gina?”

The brunette gives Emma a shy smile, taking a sip of her drink to buy her some time. “Well, I am — but I like all kinds of movies,” she responds nonchalantly, scooting her body back to rest against the comfortable frame of the couch, leaving her gorgeous legs laying straight on the surface. Emma stares at her with a smile, receiving an arched eyebrow and a smirk from Gina.

“Would you like some popcorn?” She asks, nodding at the machine a few meters from them.

“If you’re willing to make it, yes,” the brunette responds teasingly, causing Emma to chuckle and her heart to burst happily due to the nice banter that leaves her wanting this woman even more.

“Of course I’ll make it for you,” she teases back, standing to then walk over to the popcorn machine.

“Don’t take long, though. The movie is starting.”

Emma chuckles again, nodding at Gina’s words even if the brunette can’t see her right now. A few minutes later, she is back on the lounger, laying beside Gina and placing the medium cup of popcorn beside them.

“So, I’ve heard people mentioning this movie before because it _is_ a classic, but I don’t know what the story is about. Care to explain it to me?” She asks the brunette, who just smiles and drinks another sip of her Prosecco.

“Well, it’s about a sex worker and a rich man who fall in love unexpectedly with each other.”

“Whoa, that sounds interesting,” she comments, watching as another smile graces Gina’s plump lips. That only increases the desire to kiss the woman again. “ That’s something that only happens in movies. I mean, what are the odds?” Emma says, quickly glancing at Gina to gather her reaction.

“You don’t believe that epic romantic encounters happen in real life, Emma?” Gina asks with a touch of amusement in her voice.

She shrugs. “Heartbreak is more prominent of happening, to be honest.”

The brunette nods slowly, turning her face to the large screen again. “Sometimes,” she responds quietly.

They fall in comfortable silence after that, both lost in the movie, the Prosecco, the popcorn and the hors d’oeuvres. Sometimes Gina would glance at Emma to assess her reactions to certain scenes in the movie, but would quickly turn her attention back to the screen when Emma noticed. That obviously makes Emma giddy and happy, realizing that the brunette cares about what she thinks of the movie, and the blonde is indeed liking the movie more than she anticipated. She has never been a fan of romantic movies, but this moment right here, on a Maldivian Island, laying on a lounger beside the most gorgeous woman she has ever seen can certainly change Emma’s opinion on the genre.

Emma still doesn’t know much about Gina’s personal life — where she’s from, where she lives, or what she does. Even though Emma is extremely curious and excited to discover all these little details about Gina, she knows the brunette is not keen on talking much about life outside of the island. Hopefully, if things go well between them tonight, Emma will have the opportunity to get to know Gina better.

Focusing on the now, Emma glances at the brunette who is quietly drinking her Prosecco and paying attention to the movie.

“This is one of the best scenes of the movie, in my opinion,” Gina comments, looking at Emma with a smirk.

“Yeah? Why?”

“Just watch it.”

The scene starts with Vivian walking towards where Edward is playing the piano for a small audience. He looks at her, they have a small conversation and when Vivian stands in front of the piano, undoubtedly catching Edward’s full attention, he suddenly asks everyone else to get out. Vivian is wearing only a robe and that seems to spike Edward’s contemplation to it. She stands in front of the piano, looking down at him, probably wanting him to do something.

Emma chances a glance at Gina, realizing the woman is transfixed on the scene happening before her. She smiles cheekily, turning her head back to the scene the brunette claims to be the best in her opinion.

Edward opens Vivian’s robe, grabs her by the hips and puts her on top of the piano while he stares at the beautiful piece of lingerie she’s wearing. He caresses her hair, her face, her curves, then leans in to kiss her, but she dodges away to kiss his neck instead because of her rule that kissing is off-limits since it’s too personal. Edward’s hands wander around Vivian’s body, pushing her gently to lay on top of the piano as he continues to worship her body with his hands, then his mouth. The scene fades to the background slowly as the man continues to enjoy the beautiful woman in front of him.

Emma swallows roughly, trying to clean her suddenly dry throat after watching such an erotic scene. It’s a heterosexual scene, but the way the woman’s body is worshipped is what turns her on. She can’t help but imagine herself doing that to Gina, able to give her pleasure-

“What did you think?” Gina asks, her voice quieter as she looks at Emma with her lips between her teeth.

Emma straightens herself on the lounger, instinctively moving closer to the brunette. “That was… that was indeed sexy.”

The brunette chuckles at her. “I know.” She slides off of the lounger, causing Emma to miss her warmth instantly. Before Gina stands up, she grabs both hers and the blonde’s plastic glass and starts filling up with more Prosecco. “We’re not drinking enough,” she says, which makes Emma smile.

Minutes later, she’s giving Emma’s glass back to her and crawling her way back on the couch to her previous spot; only this time she ends up much closer to Emma than before. Goosebumps appear on the blonde’s skin because of their closeness and she tries to calm down her nerves and urges that tell her to end the space between them with a fierce kiss. Instead, she asks:

“Edward and Vivian can’t kiss on the mouth,” Emma starts slowly, causing Gina to look at her with interest. “But _we_ can, right?” She emphasizes, leaning closer on purpose. 

“I don’t know,” Gina drawls, a smirk forming on her beautiful lips. “Did you earn it?”

Emma mimics her smirk, leaning in even closer that she feels Gina’s breath mixing with her own. “What do I need to do to earn a kiss from you?”

“It depends,” the brunette provokes, wrapping her bottom lip between her teeth in a teasing bite. That drives Emma crazy and she moves her hand automatically to those enticing plump lips. She caresses them slowly with her thumb, sliding over the scar that looks so sexy and makes Emma wonder what had happened there. She doesn’t ask, though, because she’s too enthralled by her desire and wants desperately to close the remaining space between them. But she doesn’t do that either; Emma decides to tease the brunette to earn herself a kiss that doesn’t part from her.

Her fingers grip the soft locks of brown hair, pulling it slightly to the side so she can attack her neck with her thirsty mouth. Goosebumps appear on Gina’s skin the minute Emma presses her lips on the brunette’s warm, scented neck. A wave of pure pleasure runs through her entire body, making her lightheaded due to the intoxicatingly sweet and fresh scent of her perfume. She opens her mouth, placing wet and gentle kisses to Gina’s neck to then start nibbling on the skin slowly, sliding her nose along the way to tickle the brunette. She hears a low hum escape Gina’s lips and that encourages her more: Emma uses her tongue to lick Gina’s neck slowly, feeling the brunette shiver in her arms and this time a low moan exits her plump lips. 

Emma smiles against olive skin, back again with pressing wet kisses up the expanse of her neck until she has her mouth barely an inch from Gina's. Brown eyes are dark now, looking up into emerald ones so intensely that Emma feels breathless. Barely a second later, Gina is ending the remaining space between them, pressing her lips against Emma’s, initiating a stimulating kiss that simply sends a wave of shiver down the blonde’s spine the minute their lips touch; lips and tongue that taste like prosecco sweep deliciously inside her mouth, causing arousal to pool between her legs and the scenery around her disappears, the movie completely forgotten as she is lost in the moment that is _Gina_ entirely.

The brunette grips Emma’s hair this time, caressing her curls as she deepens the kiss, pulling the blonde closer to her body. Emma sighs in her mouth, delighted in everything she is receiving from this woman and she grasps Gina’s waist, caressing the fabric of the dress with her fingers. Gina moves her hands as well, sliding both around the collar of Emma’s blouse and she pulls the blonde even closer, their breathing becoming scarce as their mouths keep ravishing each other.

A moment later, though, Gina is breaking the kiss and she pushes Emma a few inches away but doesn’t let go of the grip on the collar of her blouse. “You’re not watching the movie,” she says, her breath ghosting Emma’s lips.

“Neither are you,” Emma retorts with a cheeky smile, trying to kiss Gina again, but the brunette dodges away with a chuckle.

“We have to focus on the _movie_ , Emma,” Gina stresses playfully, pulling completely away from Emma with a smile. She gets on her knees and crawls to the table standing on the foot of the lounger, giving the blonde the view of her backside encased perfectly in the beautiful dress. “Eyes on the _movie,_ Emma,” Gina emphasizes, looking over her shoulder with a playful smile and then sits on the edge of the lounger, leaning closer to the table to grab something the blonde can’t see. 

Emma can’t look anywhere but her, though. Gina is too enthralling not to get lost in her beauty and everything she is and gives. A few seconds later, Gina turns around and crawls her way back to her spot with the fancy glass that contains cherries.

Gina puts one cherry in her mouth, her eyes on the movie the whole time as if nothing was happening minutes ago between them on this couch. She puts another one quickly and soon realizes that Emma’s eyes haven’t wandered off of her face. The blonde is staring longingly at Gina, especially at her lips that are _tasting_ the cherries and _she_ isn’t right now _._

“Emma?”

“It’s really hard for me to concentrate on the movie right now,” she responds slowly, noticing her voice is a bit throaty probably due to the hot make-out session she shared with this gorgeous woman minutes ago.

A cheeky smile is thrown her way. “Here, eat a cherry,” Gina says, leaning closer to place the cherry inside Emma’s mouth. The blonde takes the opportunity to lean closer to the other woman as well, caressing her arm as the brunette eventually feeds her the cherry. She chews slowly, delighted in the taste. “Now, pay attention to the movie,” the brunette persists, showing Emma another smirk as she moves her body closer to her, resting her back against the blonde’s right arm while she happily continues to chew the cherries and watch the movie.

Emma decides to wrap her arm around Gina’s shoulders, giving her more space to rest comfortably against her chest while the blonde can caress the skin of her arm with her fingers. They spend the rest of the movie in this exact position, close enough to each other that it can feel too personal for women who only met two days ago, but at the same time, it feels right and warm and so comfortable to be this close to Gina. Emma can only hope the brunette is just as comfortable with her.

By the time the final scene plays, Emma is smiling like a fool at the characters doing romantic cheesy stuff for each other, loving that it concluded with a happy ending. 

Gina turns to face her, a big smile on her beautiful lips. “So, what do you think of the movie?”

“It’s really nice, actually,” she says. “That’s a very unpredictable way to fall in love because neither of them expected it, and I’m glad they ended up together in the end. It’s a nice romantic comedy.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Gina nods, then bites her lips as she stares at Emma, seeming to ponder about something.

Emma really doesn’t want the night to end right now, but it all depends on what Gina wants. She won’t suggest anything else tonight, even if it leaves her wanting. She steals a quick kiss from the brunette, watching as the latter smiles again at her, so that gives the blonde encouragement enough to kiss her again, languidly, her hands grasping Gina’s face to bring her closer. The movement causes the brunette’s body to accommodate to the position, her legs finding solace on each side of Emma’s waist. Her hands fall to Gina’s waist, pulling her impossibly closer as their kiss turns passionate and demanding, their tongues provoking each other, exploring every dip and curve. The way Gina moves on top of her drives Emma _mad_ , her body shivering with an unbearable heat burning between her thighs.

It gets too heated for the space they are in now, where the thakuru could come back at any minute. As if she read her mind, Gina stops the kiss and her forehead falls against Emma’s, the woman’s lips parting in a silent plea as her heavy breaths tickle Emma’s face. “We should go,” she says against thin lips, her breathing shallow.

Emma’s heart thumps loudly inside her chest, signalling her expectation of what the other woman’s answer could be. “Wh-where?” She dumbly asks, looking deeply into pools of brown.

“Can you take me to my water villa?” Gina coaxes, her voice carrying a seductive tone. “I don’t want to go alone.”

The dangerous intimacy of Gina’s tone makes something deep inside Emma’s lower abdomen to contract sharply. She bites her lower lip and nods her head hastily. “Yes, _yes.”_

Gina presses a quick peck on Emma’s lips, then moves away from her lap. Both of them slide off of the lounger, gather their things and start walking away from the movie space to the Crescent. Emma is high on her arousal for this woman, of what could happen, but is trying not to keep her hopes up because this invite can literally just be to accompany Gina to the Crescent and nothing more will happen between them tonight.

“You didn’t have anything planned to do tonight with your friends?” Gina asks, filling the silence.

“Uh, yeah. We had booked a reservation at a restaurant on Play Island, but I ditched them to be with you,” she confesses shyly, feeling her cheeks heat up.

Gina looks at her with a glint in her eyes and a smile on her beautiful lips. “You ditched your friends to be with a woman you met only once?”

“Let’s say the woman is a very good kisser and being with her is more enthralling than getting drunk with friends at the moment?”

Gina laughs, shaking her head to the side. “Weren’t they angry with you?”

“On the contrary: they encouraged me to spend time with you.”

“Hmm,” the brunette mutters. “I can’t blame them; I’m a very fun person to spend time with,” she says loftily, smirking at Emma in a devilish way that causes her legs to become wobbly.

Emma chuckles and says, “You’re not wrong.”

This Gina from today is much more different from the Gina she talked to yesterday: more reserved and less talkative. Maybe she feels more at ease when they’re alone, with no prying eyes around them. Or maybe she is just more comfortable around Emma now and wants things to progress between them. Emma sure hopes so.

The rest of the way to Gina’s water villa is silent. The only sound around them is the calming waves of the ocean. When they stop in front of the suite’s door, Emma feels a sudden dread penetrate her body as well as the disappointment of having to say goodnight to this woman. She can’t push any more than she already did yesterday when she invited Gina to watch a movie with her; when she technically invited the brunette on a date. Sucking up her unhappiness, she starts:

“So, I… I had a really great night with you,” Emma stammers awkwardly, her cheeks blushing as she hides both her hands behind her short’s pockets.

“Me too,” Gina agrees, crossing her arms over her chest as she stares with a smirk at Emma. The blonde, however, can’t help but notice how the position of Gina’s arms enhance her breasts and make them look even more detectable to her hungry eyes. “Emma, would you like to come in for a drink?”

Her eyes are immediately drawn back to brown ones as hope brightens inside her with Gina’s sudden suggestion. Of course, she’d like to go in for a drink… she’d go in for anything Gina offered her, actually. She just needed another reason to stay and the brunette had just given her one.

“Yes, of course,” she responds quickly with a bright smile, liberating her hands from her back pockets to finally relax her tensed muscles. 

“Emma, have you been to any Crescent suites before?” Gina asks just as she opens the door to her water villa.

“No, I haven’t,” she responds again, walking inside the space eagerly to see what it offered in real life.

“It’s great, isn’t it?” The brunette asks with a smile, moving to grab a remote controller and suddenly the blinds are opening, giving both of them the view of the deck, which leads to the ocean and the starlit dark sky.

“Oh, my God, it is fucking _amazing_ ,” she stresses, her mouth agape as she takes in every single detail around Gina’s water villa.

The rooms are standard because it contains mostly the same things as Emma’s beach villa does, except a bit of the decoration is different. The best part of this suite is definitely the private deck with the freshwater pool, the incredible jacuzzi and the loungers, daybed and dining table placed around the magnificent terrace. Emma suddenly longs to dive into the ocean and feel the bracing breezes of the night.

“What would you like to drink, Emma?” The blonde turns to face Gina again who has a smug smile on her face.

“Whatever you’re having,” she replies with a smile of her own.

Emma observes as Gina uncorks a bottle of Rosé wine and pours two glasses for them.

“C’mon, let’s sit outside,” she says, giving the glass to Emma and pulling her by the hand towards the deck. They sit on the chairs by the end of the terrace, facing a squared coffee table and the sight of the pool and the ocean. 

Upon seated, Emma finally takes a sip of the Rosé wine and sighs happily, feeling the sweet alcohol descending through her throat.

“What do you think of the wine?” The brunette asks, a lazy smile on her face.

“It’s really damn good. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. Just the right amount of fruits,” she explains, looking deeply into brown orbs that are fixed on her, spiked with interest. 

“It’s one of my favourite French wines,” Gina comments, raising the glass to her lips to take a sip, but her eyes don’t waver from Emma’s.

“So,” Emma starts with a sheepish smile. “It must be nice to have all this to yourself.” She gestures around the space.

Gina licks her lips, drawing Emma’s attention to it instantly, and looks around her water villa with silent contemplation. “The luxury is nice, but it’s better when I have someone else to share it with,” she confesses, then takes another sip of the wine while she stares at Emma with those taunting and mysterious eyes.

That confession gives Emma a shot of adrenaline mixed with the arousal of what could happen between them. Her heart starts pounding faster against her chest as she observes the brunette in silence, utterly intrigued by her persona and everything she is showing Emma right now.

“You’re done travelling alone, then?” Emma asks, noticing her voice has turned a bit lower because of the arousal between her legs that is quickly taking over her whole body and mind.

“Probably not,” Gina murmurs, then drinks the rest of her wine in one swift sip. “But it compensates when you meet interesting people along the way,” she coaxes throatily, causing Emma to lean in instinctively towards her like a magnet.

“Yeah?” Emma rhetorically asks, watching with hooded eyes as Gina licks her own lips then closes the remaining space between them.

Their lips find each other in a slow, sensual kiss and Emma is happily lost in everything that Gina is. That delicious tongue seeks for entrance and it meets her own, the beat of her heart quickening just as more arousal courses through her body. She wants more, she _needs_ more. Emma wants to touch every single spot on Gina’s body… she wants to worship her body all night long and give her the pleasure she deserves-

Their lips are rudely being pulled apart and, this time, Emma can’t help but let out a whine of annoyance, especially because the brunette is raising from the chair altogether. However, when she looks at Gina’s face, she views that sexy smirk and everything feels warm again; she feels giddy and hot all over for having those lips on hers once more. 

She watches as the brunette’s hands lower down to her calves to then slide up under the Turkish-blue dress, very slowly, dark brown eyes fixed on emerald ones the whole time. Emma is barely containing her breath, her mouth slightly agape as she stares with rapt attention at every single one of Gina’s movements. Olive hands seem to stop where Gina’s waistline is, and quickly after, they’re lowering down through her thighs again. When it reaches her calves, Emma is finally able to see the expensive piece of black lingerie dangling from Gina’s fingers.

_Holy. Fucking. Shit._

“Close your mouth, dear, and come inside,” Gina all but purrs, moving her index finger in a come-hither motion, the panties casually dangling from that exact finger which causes Emma’s body to tremble in expectation.

When the other woman turns to walk inside the suite again, Emma promptly stands on her wobbly legs, places her glass of wine on the coffee table and hastily walks towards Gina with excitement bursting from her chest, the wine completely forgotten. Upon stepping into the suite, she finds Gina laying on the bed, back against the pillows. Dark eyes follow every other step Emma takes, getting closer to the bed where this amazing goddess is probably waiting to be ravished _. Holy fuck._

The fancy piece of panties are nowhere to be seen, but Emma decides to focus only on those enchanting brown eyes that are locked deeply into hers. The way Gina is smirking at her does no good to her insides, leaving her a discombobulated mess such is the arousal that’s increasing between her legs.

They’re not saying anything, though, and that’s kind of uncertain. The only sounds available are from the outside: the ocean and the birds flying around. Emma wishes there was some music playing right now because it would give her more power over herself not to jump on Gina right now and have her wicked way with her — hard and fast.

“Emma?” Gina calmly calls her name and that wakes her up, giving her all the encouragement that she needs.

She springs into action, lowering her knees onto the mattress to lean her head close to Gina’s. Emma captures those enticing plump lips in a gentle kiss, but soon it turns hot and wet, Gina’s hands finding leverage below the blonde’s ear while Emma holds tightly onto the brunette’s waist, feeling the smoothness of the fabric of her dress, fingers instinctively drawing downwards to where Gina’s panty line would be if she were wearing any. _Oh my God._

An abrupt movement causes her heart to jump in her chest as Gina quickly pushes Emma’s back against the pillows to then straddle her hips, mouth never leaving hers. Gina’s arms reach up and tangle around her strong neck as the kiss becomes very passionate with the strong scent of raspberry rosé wine being exchanged in the intermingling of their billowing breaths. Emma can nearly feel the slight buzz of the wine as it rolls off her tongue and seeps down her throat with every push of the brunette’s tongue against hers. It’s not like any other kiss she has ever had — it’s superb and completely _unparalleled_.

She groans into the kiss and becomes more demanding, kissing Gina hard on the mouth, stealing her breath and leaving her gasping in instants. She nips at the brunette’s throat and kisses her way down her chest, pausing to push the fabric of her dress away, leaving one turgid nipple exposed to the cool air of the night. Without thinking twice, Emma swirls her tongue around the nipple and sucks on it, listening to the low moan that escapes the brunette’s sinful lips.

Emma’s hands move on their own accord, caressing those smooth thighs under the dress, sliding closer and closer each second to Gina’s fully naked sex. Unfortunately, though, she still can’t see it. But she will, eventually. Now, she has to focus on one thing only: provoking Gina just as much she had been provoking Emma the whole night.

Her hands find their way around two naked globes, and she doesn’t stop herself from groping it lightly while she still latches her mouth around that beautiful rigid nipple. Her dainty fingers find their way up front, passing through Gina’s panty line to finally reach its peak: her bare, soaked pussy. Gina gasps instantly at the touch, another moan leaving her mouth. That only encourages Emma to touch her more, to explore her outer and inner lips, spreading Gina’s slick wetness all around. My God, Emma _longs_ to taste her; longs desperately to feel Gina on her tongue, coming completely undone in her mouth.

When she pulls her fingers away, a whine escapes Gina’s lips, but she is quiet again as Emma pushes her gently down on the mattress. She smiles cheekily, lowering herself to her knees in between Gina’s legs still half-covered by the Turkish-blue dress. The brunette is, once again, biting her bottom lip, laying on the foot side of the bed, supporting her body by her elbows. Her dark, brown eyes are fully focused on Emma’s movements, seeming to be silently waiting for what the blonde is going to do.

Emma places both her hands on the skin of Gina’s calves, dragging them up slowly towards her creamy thighs, causing the dress to move up and up until the blonde can see her sex, fully exposed to her hungry eyes.

“Fuck,” she mutters unconsciously, eyes fixed on the wet pussy in front of her so ready to be tasted. She glances up at Regina, finding brown eyes completely dark with lust and desire, and plump lips are trapped between those pearly teeth sexily, causing goosebumps to appear on Emma’s skin.

With her eyes still firmly fixed onto Gina’s, she lowers her whole body on the bed, slowly spreading the brunette’s legs apart as she settles between them, already able to smell her great scent of copious arousal. Emerald eyes flick between dark brown and the bare pussy in front of her. Finally, she lowers herself completely, wrapping her arms around Gina’s thighs and places her mouth on the brunette’s lower stomach, ready to tease and bite the skin to provoke her. Gina’s hips buck up and down slowly, wanting more and probably _lower,_ gasping as Emma continues her provocations on her skin, sliding down towards her sex.

Pulling her mouth a breath away, Emma glides her thumb between Gina’s wetness very slowly, just to tease and build her up even more. That’s when she hears a loud moan; a moan that causes more goosebumps to appear on her skin and her sex to throb painfully between her legs. Not able to wait any longer, Emma drops her mouth to the dripping pussy, giving a strong suck on her throbbing clit, listening to another loud, erotic moan that escapes Gina’s lips. A smile forms on Emma’s lips as she encouragingly continues to suck to then swipe her tongue all over the brunette’s wetness, delighting herself with the new taste. Gina rolls her lips against Emma’s mouth, her body limp on the bed by now, elbows long resting because she couldn’t hold herself when Emma started licking her.

She hums against Gina’s dripping sex, doing aerobics with her tongue all around her wet folds and doing harder sucking motions. Her hands move upwards, feeling the soft texture of the Turkish-blue dress to finally reach Gina’s breasts where she uses her fingers to tease the turgid nipples and squeeze the small globes, loving the way Gina gasps relentlessly, her own hands resting on top of Emma’s to encourage her to continue playing with her boobs while the blonde licks her profusely between her thighs.

Gina bulks her hips against Emma’s mouth a sequence of times, her back arching suddenly off of the bed and her body trembling as she lets out a long, loud moan off her lips, her fingers gripping blonde hair with slight force as her thighs close around Emma’s head, coming completely undone as Emma watches her breathless. Her essence bursts through her, provoking the blonde to lick her clean, delighted with the delicious taste of Gina’s pleasure and still a bit lightheaded by the loud moans she made erupt from those enticing lips.

When Gina has eventually calmed her body down and needs the blonde to stop licking her sensitive clit, Emma moves her body up, laying beside Gina to kiss and nibble on her neck.

“Emma, hmm,” Gina hums, moving her neck aside so the blonde can have more space to tease the flesh. “You’re completely dressed,” she grumbles, turning her body on the bed to straddle Emma’s thighs once again.

“And you still have your dress on… kinda,” she mumbles, hands finding its place on olive thighs.

Emma stares at the goddess on top of her, a firm grin on her face as she drinks in the sight of Gina still wearing that beautiful Turkish-blue dress. But then, the brunette flashes her a smirk and quickly pulls her dress away, throwing carelessly at some corner in the room. Now she is completely naked on top of Emma, and the sight leaves the blonde completely speechless and even more aroused.

“Fuck,” she mutters as her eyes stare desirably at the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

“I need you naked,” the brunette urges, moving her hands to Emma’s blouse to undo the buttons. They are popped open quickly by Gina’s hurried, trembling fingers, likely losing a few in the process, though it is beyond either of them to care now. 

Emma’s shirt is soon cast aside and Gina brings her hands up to find Emma's soft, naked breasts with a sexy smirk. Then, she’s leaning in to wrap her delicious lips around Emma’s erected nipples, teasing them with her tongue and teeth. Gina draws a path down Emma’s abdomen with her tongue, finally reaching her covered waist. She undoes the buttons of the denim shorts with dexterity to then slide them along with Emma’s cotton panties down her legs. 

They’re both completely naked now and all Emma wants is to feel Gina’s warm body pressed to hers. Without preamble, she pulls the brunette closer and their lips meet again, hot and needy, teeth clashing and tongues battling for some kind of dominance. Gina’s hands twine in Emma's hair, over her neck, digging nails in with delicious pressure. Emma tugs the brunette closer by her ass so that her hot center is resting on her stomach, both of them instantly wiggling in to get more contact.

Emma’s breath is instantly caught in her throat when the other woman sits directly with her pussy against hers, the wet heat emanating instantly and driving the blonde crazy with even more arousal. Gina is so smooth, so _hot,_ and deliciously perfect as she starts to grind her pussy down against Emma’s. 

“Fuck,” she groans for the umpteenth time that night, raising her body on her elbows to gaze at the delicious and perfect view before her eyes. Her pussy is just as wet as Gina’s, and as the brunette moves on top of her, Emma knows she can’t hold herself much longer. When another erotic moan escapes Gina’s plump lips, Emma is driven by the sound and instantly sits up, placing both her hands on each side of Gina’s waist to encourage her as her mouth finds those glorious delicious nipples once again to tease.

“ _Emma_ ,” Gina half-moans, half-complains, her nails scratching the blonde’s back as her nipples are being thoroughly teased with a delicious tongue. But then, Gina is pushing Emma back against the mattress again to then continue moving against her pussy. The blonde revels in the heat emitting from Gina’s core and the thick wetness smearing together with hers so quick she wouldn’t know what’s hers and Gina’s by now.

“I can’t get enough of you,” Emma mutters, breathless, as Gina keeps her in place against the mattress so she can rock her body against hers.

“I know,” the brunette retorts, a devilish smirk playing on her face. 

“I need faster,” Emma pleads, moaning again a second later when Gina positions herself directly against her clit, starting to move way faster. It’s not long before Emma receives the most glorious sensation and her body erupts in scorching heat as a blaze of euphoric bliss spreads like fire through her blood. 

While she is lost in pure pleasure, Emma only notices a dark head moving to lay between her legs when there’s a tongue entering inside her, licking all of her post-orgasmic juices. “Oh my God- fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck_!”

Emma puts her hand over her mouth as Gina starts to move her tongue quickly up and down, savouring her pussy with immeasurable gusto. Passion burns every inch of Emma and she knows she won’t last long. _Again._ She doesn’t even care. It’s not like Gina would be bothered by the fact that Emma would come _again_ in barely minutes. She had been aroused during the whole movie, just waiting for some release. After tasting Gina and making _her_ come so beautifully, she can barely contain herself now when the woman is giving her so _much_. 

“Fuck… _fuck_ ,” she moans, her body moving accordingly to Gina’s tongue movements.

When the brunette’s lips latch onto her and they suck on her clit, Emma screams again. The intense pleasure on her core quickly spreads throughout her body until she feels it to the edges of her hair and then her whole body erupts into pure bliss once again as she loses track of the world for long seconds.

She is conscious again when Gina moves to lay beside Emma to wrap her arm around her neck. She pushes blonde hair from Emma’s face and smiles at her.

“You have a very dirty mouth, dear,” Gina drawls, lips mere inches from Emma’s.

“I can’t help it,” she retorts, smiling at the brunette. Emma caresses Gina’s naked ass slowly to then pull her leg over hers, giving her own thigh more space to feel the constant wetness between the other woman’s legs. “You’re too hot,” she confesses, moving to kiss the brunette slowly and tantalizingly while she sneakily moves her right hand to find its goal through Gina’s soaked pussy.

The brunette gasps at the touch, her arms tightening around Emma’s neck and her legs opening wide to welcome the touch. Emma smiles at the notion, not wasting time to slip two fingers in at once, causing Gina to gasp louder at the delicious intrusion. _Fuck_ , Gina feels so tight around her fingers and she’s still so damn wet that Emma yearns to lick her fingers clean of the amazing taste she’s quickly growing addicted to.

“Emma,” Gina moans against Emma’s lips, her plea silently telling the blonde that she wants more, faster, _harder_. 

So that's what she does: Emma pumps her fingers harder inside Gina, deeper to find her g-spot and is content to hear another loud moan coming from those sinful lips that remain only a breath away of her own. The sensation of Gina’s inner walls closing around her fingers tell her the brunette is close to her release, so Emma goes even faster, feeling wetness flood through her fingers quickly after as Gina cries out through her second orgasm, hands digging into Emma’s scalp as her body arches into hers.

That is a sight Emma will never forget: Gina coming undone, completely putty in her hands.

She takes out her drenched fingers from inside Gina and licks them clean, giving the brunette a brief show and receiving a hard kiss right after, letting the brunette taste herself in her mouth. Soon, their kiss turns languid and torturously slow, signalling that they’re both too tired to continue.

Emma is even more pleased when Gina remains to her side, one arm tossing over her abdomen, dark hair tickling Emma’s chin from the head resting on her shoulder. Within minutes, Gina’s rhythmic breathing changes, telling Emma the woman has fallen asleep in her arms. She grins widely at the amazing sensation of having a woman sleeping in her arms, so close and completely naked, even if they’re basically still strangers to one another. Minutes later, Emma is falling asleep with that content smile still fixed on her face, overjoyed at all the things that happened between her and Gina today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa... Are they moving too fast? Is this attraction between them uncontrollable? Yeah, probably. Who wouldn't be attracted to Gina, anyway? Or Emma, for that matter ;)
> 
> If you want to check out Gina's amazing suite, please click [here](https://www.panomatics.com/nextgen/maldives/niyama/index.html?startscene=37&_affclk=adn:3817:520938:Cj0KCQjws_r0BRCwARIsAMxfDRjagrHoazUjK9PJSWYF38lM2UZfrw84fpv5dsVT6ELf2m7JLo9QPl0aAuXdEALw_wcB:8002y1) and have fun imagining our ladies in every corner of that suite!


	4. She Is Rare

♬

_And I, I can’t stop thinkin’ about you, girl_

_I must be livin’ in a fantasy world_

_I’m so high on you_

— Survivor

With a lazy smile, she rolls over on her side, stretching her arm out in search of a warm body to wrap around. Instead, it reaches into space, nothing but cold sheets and blankets. Her eyes open instantly, searching around for the woman who has made her feel so great last night. Her body is sore in all the right places, but she yearns to do it all over again; to draw Gina into a desirable kiss and fuck her into the morning sun. Emma sighs wistfully, wondering _why_ Gina isn’t in bed right now? She groans into a pillow, wafting the scent of the other woman's shampoo instantly. That’s when her ears perk up and she hears a singing voice coming from the bathroom:

_“Pretty woman, walkin’ down the street. Pretty woman, the kind I like to meet. Pretty woman, I don’t believe you, you’re not the truth. No one could look as good as you.”_

A wide grin forms on her lips as she is reminded of the movie they watched last night, the nice song that played, and how amazing it was to share that moment with Gina. Listening to her throaty, singing voice coming from the bathroom drives Emma out of bed as she realizes she _needs_ to listen to this amazing voice up close. 

As soon as she is up, the insecurities and worries get to her: what if Gina doesn’t want to be disturbed? Does Gina even want Emma to remain here, in her room? Was last night a one-stand only? She sits down on the bed with a huff, looking down at herself stark-naked.

_“Pretty woman, won’t you pardon me. Pretty woman, I couldn’t help but see. Pretty woman... that you look lovely as can be. Are you lonely, just like me?”_

These other beautiful verses sung by Gina’s incredible voice forces the negative thoughts out of Emma’s head, and she quickly surveys the room to find her clothes, puts them on, and walks towards the bathroom with precise steps. She knocks on the doubled-door before she regrets it, the singing voice coming to a halt the minute she presses her fist against the wood.

“Come in,” Gina says after a few seconds and Emma diligently pushes open the door to find the most beautiful woman she has ever seen laying in a big bathtub, her exquisite body under the water and hair up in a short bun. “Oh,” the brunette murmurs as soon as her eyes land on Emma’s body, a disappointed look on her face. “You’re all dressed.”

The blonde smiles cheekily at her. “Did you expect me to come in here naked?”

“As a matter of fact, _yes_ ,” Gina responds very honestly, which causes Emma to blush. “You woke up that way, didn’t you?”

“I can take it all off again if you prefer…” Emma shrugs nonchalantly, trying to play it cool, and moves her fingers to her blouse to take it off.

The brunette chuckles wholeheartedly. “That’s okay, dear. I’m just teasing you.”

“Oh,” Emma mutters, feeling an instinctive smile forming on her lips. 

“Can you hand me the towel behind you, please?” The blonde nods hastily, turning around to grab the towel from the rack, and when she turns back, Gina is standing inside the bathtub, completely naked as water droplets slide on her olive-tanned skin. _Holy shit._

“Oh, fuck,” Emma mutters, unable to hold herself, and stares at all the displayed skin she already saw last night, but _fuck_ , it makes her feel aroused instantly and her throat dries up.

“Very eloquent,” Gina teases with a bite on her lower lip, her hands moving to rest on her waist as she looks down her own stunning body. “Am I distracting you, Emma?”

The blonde rolls her eyes despite the burning need between her thighs, and finally hands the towel to Gina, who surely takes too long to wrap it around herself on _purpose._

“You’re a _tease_ ,” Emma accuses playfully, crossing her arms over her chest as she continues to stare at every movement the brunette does.

Eventually, Gina steps out of the bathtub and stands before Emma with a seductive smile on her lips. “There’s a spare toothbrush on the sink. Help yourself to whatever you need here. I’ll see if our breakfast has arrived,” Gina explains, leaning in to place a kiss on the blonde’s rosy cheek and then walks out of the door.

When Emma checks the mirror in front of her, she realizes she is smiling like a _fool_ right now. Holy shit, that woman is fucking _intriguing_. Emma never knows what she is going to say; she is very unpredictable in an interesting way that only makes Emma want to get to know her better.

She takes her time to do her necessities in the private toilet square, eyeing the outdoor shower wistfully, then the bathtub Gina had been inside minutes ago. God knows how much she wanted to get into that bathtub as soon as she saw Gina inside, but the woman had already finished her bath, unfortunately. 

Emma grabs the spare toothbrush on the sink, planting toothpaste on it to brush her teeth and surveys the chic bathroom, realizing only then that there is a door behind the bathtub that leads to the deck and the stairs to the ocean. Super crazy and immeasurably expensive, that’s for sure. Emma also observes the large variety of body lotions, makeup, and expensive perfumes laying on the sink. Gina is a rich woman, that is undeniable.

After tidying up the mess of blonde curls in her head, Emma leaves the bathroom, finding Gina on the deck, staring out at the ocean as she stretches her arms up to her head. She is not wearing that towel anymore; now, she’s wearing a short, fluffy white robe that covers not even half of her thighs. As Emma approaches, she realizes Gina is probably not even wearing any underwear with that robe. Fuck. This woman will be her _undoing_ …

Her feet keep moving towards the brunette, and when she is close enough, she embraces Gina from behind, pressing her front deliciously to the other woman’s back, feeling the softness of the fluffy robe. Gina hums approvingly, and that encourages Emma to embrace her tighter, instantly wanting them to be naked and exposed to the morning sun. The sight of the infinity pool and the ocean is too tempting and Emma longs to swim naked with Gina, and maybe do other _things_ while at it. But she doesn’t even know if the other woman will want to do anything with her later.

Suddenly, Gina arches herself, giving Emma’s pelvis a rub of her ass, and touches Emma’s wrists with her hands, tightening them around her waist. That sends a wonderful sensation through Emma’s spine, that continues straight to her core. _Holy shit,_ she _needs_ to have Gina again. 

She quickly turns the woman around in her arms and draws her into a heady kiss. Gina’s arms instantly circle the blonde’s neck to bring her closer while Emma slowly slides her hands over Gina’s back and down to her ass, grabbing it because she just can’t help herself, and feels her body shiver when she realizes she had been right: Gina is not wearing anything under the robe. 

“ _Fuck_ , you’re not wearing anything under this, are you?” Emma groans in the brunette’s ear, mouth tickling the skin.

“No,” is the simple response she receives.

Emma releases another groan, her lips travelling down Gina’s jawline to shower the warm neck with sensual, open-mouthed kisses that leave the flesh extra wet, provoking goosebumps to scatter all around while her hands grope the exposed flesh of Gina’s thighs, always trying to bring the gorgeous body closer to hers. 

“Emma, hmmm, we need to eat breakfast,” Gina mutters between a moan and then pulls away slowly from the blonde’s arms and lips.

The movement causes Emma to whine, and she gives the brunette a pout. “Aren’t _you_ my breakfast?”

“Not quite,” Gina answers, biting her lower lip in that seductive way that makes Emma’s legs _weak_.

“That’s a shame,” she answers as she is pulled by Gina towards the small glass-squared table with breakfast splayed beautifully on top of a wooden tray. “Wow, this is fancy!” Emma says, eyeing the variety of fruits and types of bread.

“Perks of staying at the Crescent,” Gina comments with a smile, grabbing a fork to get a few fruits. “What are you and your friends up to this afternoon, Emma?”

The blonde smiles, happy that Gina is interested in knowing about her whereabouts, and that probably means she wants to spend more time with Emma. 

“I have no idea,” she chuckles. “But I know there is something scheduled for tonight.”

“Hmm, there probably is. There are many things to do on the island.”

“That’s right. What will _you_ do today?” She asks, feeling curious.

Gina smiles. “I have a spa session scheduled in one hour from now. That’s why I woke up earlier and got in the bath.” She puts a strawberry in her mouth and chews slowly, her eyes focused on Emma.

“Oh,” Emma mutters, blushing at the reminder of the sight of Gina in the bath and also wishing for a spa session for herself. “Sounds relaxing.”

“Yes, it is wonderful.” There’s a pause in which they’re both chewing delicious fruits. Then, Gina says again, “So, Emma, I… I was thinking that you could come by later, after lunch, to hang out here. That is if you don’t have anything planned with your friends, of course.”

Emma grins widely, loving to know that Gina wants more of what they’ve had yesterday. “I’ll ditch them again if I need to,” she confesses bluntly.

The brunette’s lips twitch into a smile. “Please, don’t do that. They’ll hate me.”

Emma laughs at her response. “They will understand. Besides, I think I am the only single in the group by now.”

Gina narrows her eyes at her. “I thought you said only two of your friends were together as a couple.”

“Yeah, but I think my two other friends have a thing for each other, but they haven’t said anything yet.”

“Hmm,” the brunette mutters. “They must be having fun without you in the room, then,” she says suggestively.

The blonde laughs at the implication. “They should be having.”

“Yes, they should,” she agrees, flashing Emma a smile and then looking down at her plate to cut a piece of waffle with jam. She puts it into her mouth while Emma watches with something tingling in her chest, butterflies flying in her stomach as she thinks about how lucky she is to have found such an amazing and interesting woman to spend time with on the island. Emma never expected to meet someone like Gina. Although she still doesn’t know much about the mysterious woman, she knows enough to realize how incredibly lucky she is right now.

They finish eating breakfast quickly after, enjoying the bracing breezes of the hot sun and the scent of the ocean. Emma doesn’t want to leave right now, but she knows she has to shower, and Gina has her spa session scheduled.

“So, I guess I should get going, then,” she says, raising from her chair and looking hesitantly at the brunette in front of her.

“And I should put some clothes on,” Gina stresses, also standing. “What time will you come by later?” The brunette asks as they’re walking towards the front door of the bedroom.

“Well, I’ll have lunch with the girls and see what their deal is for today, and I guess I’ll be back around 3 p.m. Is that okay?”

“It’s perfect. I’ll be waiting.”

They grin at each other, equally happy with their arrangements, and then there is the parting moment that Emma hates. She never knows what to say, or how to act. The first thing she wanted to do this morning was to have more sex with this stunning goddess, but time wasn’t in their favour. Maybe, during the afternoon, she will have the opportunity again. Fucking yes, she _needs_ it. The thought drives her to press herself against that slim body to kiss Gina soundly on the lips. They taste of summer fruits as well as her warm tongue, sweeping inside her mouth so good that she shivers, her arousal increasing. Emma will never be able to leave this villa if they keep kissing each other like this. It’s honestly too good to stop. 

But the brunette eventually puts a stop to another of their kisses because she is _clearly_ the more controlled one between them. 

“I’ll see you later, Emma,” Gina says after they’ve put enough distance between their bodies not to jump on each other again.

“See you, Gina.”

The door closes behind Emma softly, and then she grins widely, unable to contain her happiness to have had an amazing night with an outstanding woman she barely knows but knowing for sure that their adventures will continue later. This trip honestly couldn’t get _better_.

Out of her peripheral vision, Emma sees the common resort bike beside the villa’s door with Gina’s name on it and sets her mind on the idea of biking around the island with the brunette later. She walks the bridge of the Crescent towards the sand, and five minutes after, she’s arriving at beach villa 48, finding her four friends having breakfast together outside on the deck. All eyes are on her when she arrives:

“Oh, look who it is: the naughty lesbian who abandons her friends for women!” Ruby exclaims with mock offence, eyeing Emma up and down with a false sneer.

“Hey, it’s not my fault you encouraged me to pursue the woman,” she defends herself, shrugging at Ruby whose façade falls and she winks at Emma with a wolfish grin.

“So, you slept over, huh?” Elsa prompts in, smirking mischievously at Emma.

Emma smiles back, although a bit bashfully, as she is reminded of the delicious night of sex she had with Gina. _Shit_ , just thinking about it makes her body shiver all over again.

“How was it, Swan?” Mulan asks, a mocking smile on her face.

Emma releases a contented sigh and sits down on the free chair around the table. “It was fucking good. She’s amazing,” she confesses, her eyes dreamy, and shrugs nonchalantly so her friends don’t tease her too much.

“What about the juicy part? We want juicy details!” Ruby exclaims.

Emma rolls her eyes, feeling amused. “Oh, c’mon, we’re too old to be sharing explicit details. Get over it,” she dismisses the topic with a wave of her hand.

“Who made the first move, though?” Belle questions with an arched eyebrow.

“She did,” Emma responds. “After the movie, she invited me to her water villa and we… we spent the night together.” She bites her lips, feeling a bit shy. 

“What a way to say you’ve fucked like _rabbits_ ,” Mulan snorts, causing Emma’s face to redden even more.

“You guys are shit,” she complains, looking away from the curious faces to gaze at the calming blue ocean.

“We know,” Elsa responds with a smug smile, nudging Emma playfully on the ribs.

“Emma, will you go to the nightclub with us tonight?” Ruby asks, and then everyone is looking at her again.

“Uh, I had forgotten about it,” she confesses with a grimace. “Can I invite Gina, though? I don’t know if she will want to go, but will you be mad if I choose to stay with her if she decides _not_ to go?”

Ruby narrows her eyes at her, making her squirm, but then laughs at her face in that scandalous way only she knows how. “I’m kidding, blondie. As you so eloquently say, you’ve found an amazing woman here, so spend some good time with her during the rest of the trip. I won’t mind if you don’t come with us.”

“Neither will I, Emms,” Belle adds for reassurance.

Mulan snorts again, driving attention to her. “But please try to bring her because I’d really like to meet ‘this amazing woman’ for real.” Mulan does air quotes with her fingers, which makes Emma roll her eyes at her friend.

“ _I_ don’t even know her that well, Mulan. We just… you know, focused on having sex,” she sheepishly confesses, and the admission reminds her that she should ask Gina about her life outside of the island and where she is from because she still doesn’t know any of that. She obviously thinks the brunette is from somewhere in North America due to her perfect English and accent, but she still has to ask about it to be sure, and maybe ask about other things too. If things continue to be as good as it was yesterday between them, Emma will definitely want to get to know Gina better outside of the island.

“But you should ask her, Emms,” Elsa says. “I _also_ want to get to know her.”

Emma gives them a small smile. “All right, I’ll try my best.”

“So, I assume you’re going back there soon?” Ruby suggests, grinning wolfishly again, and thankfully changing the topic.

“Yeah, we talked about me coming back there later to spend the afternoon with her,” she says, feeling the nervous jitters start as she realizes she can’t wait for the time to come.

“You could at least shower before you go, Swan. I can smell the sex from here,” Elsa comments with a grimace, wafting a hand in front of her nose.

Emma turns pink instantly. “Gah! What? I do _not_ ,” she denies hastily, even though she knows she probably smells a bit of Gina and sweaty sex.

“Get inside, bitch!” Mulan commands, causing them all to laugh, and Emma does get inside the beach villa, smiling to herself as the feeling of content fills her whole body and heart.

* * *

♬

_Who knows the secret tomorrow will hold?_

_We don't really need to know_

_Cause you're here with me now_

_I don't want you to go_

_— Jonas Blue_

Emma goes with her friends to Play Island, crossing the bridge by bike, to have lunch at the Mediterranean restaurant called Blu that has the most breathtaking view from the surrounding lagoons, and you can even spot the different shades of blues spread through the vast lagoon. The restaurant is located right by the beach, with an infinity pool right in front of the endless tables that are placed on the bare white-clear sand. Spending quality time with her friends, checking out the view, the ambiance and having the opportunity to eat an ample variety of food is what makes the wait to see Gina worthwhile for Emma. The whole combination of lunchtime gives Emma a bigger boost of energy for the time she will spend later with Gina. 

Emma and the girls end lunch with a few fresh and moderated alcoholic drinks, then head back to Chill Island and enjoy the calmness of the beach and the bright, burning sun in front of their villas. After a good thirty minutes of sunbathing, Emma checks the time on her phone and realizes she should get ready to see Gina again. 

“Girls, I’m sorry to announce but I’ll have to get going,” she says condescendingly, smirking at her friends. “Someone is waiting for me.”

“What will you do to her, Swan?” Elsa asks, her eyes glinting with mischievousness.

Emma rolls her eyes at the bold question. “I’ll actually invite her to explore the island by bike with me.”

“Really? You’re not gonna jump on her as soon as you see her?” Mulan questions rhetorically.

“I was going to, at first, but I want to explore more of the island.”

“All right, Emma, you go for it!” Ruby chants and that is reason enough for her to put her denim shorts and white beach blouse on top of her blue bikini and then heads toward Gina’s water villa with her bike.

She gets there a few minutes later, rests the bike beside Gina’s to knock on the door right at 3 p.m. It doesn’t take long for Gina to open the door, and the sight that greets Emma is breathtaking like the ocean she has been staring at all week: Gina is wearing a thin, apricot bikini that combines a classic triangle bra with stylish high-rise bottoms, and a long black cover-up styled with light see-through spots. She looks like a fucking _goddess_ , as usual, and Emma’s mouth dries up. 

However, Emma doesn’t have enough time to say anything about the beauty before her as she is pulled by the arm, the door closing rapidly behind her, and another body collides with hers. Gina suddenly kisses Emma fiercely on the mouth, like she's _missed_ her, which is ridiculous because they’ve seen each other this morning. Yet the fact remains that she's kissing hungrily like she just can't get enough, and her hands roam wildly over Emma's figure, bringing her closer, hands digging at her clothes to pull it all off, and Emma really could give in completely right now if she hadn’t implanted the idea in her mind to go biking with Gina around the island. 

The idea that she’d rather decline sex to spend some time with Gina outside is _insane_ , but the thought goes away entirely when her hand is pulled inside the apricot bikini bottoms and she can feel how wet the brunette is. She groans at the feeling, losing all coherent thoughts especially when Gina husks in her ear, “I’ve been thinking about you.”

“ _Fuck_ , you drive me crazy,” she mutters, breathless, then presses Gina against the door and lifts her left leg to curl around her hips, opening her up so she can have more space to fuck her. She inserts her fingers inside slick heat, listening to Gina’s stranded moan in her ear.

The brunette instantly starts rocking against Emma's fingers, and she pumps harder, starting a good rhythm, then uses her thumb to draw tight circles around Gina’s clit, feeling her inner walls clenching tighter and tighter with every deep thrust of her fingers. Her lips find those delectable plump ones again, dragging her tongue inside Gina’s mouth as she increases the pace of her fingers. Emma descends her lips towards Gina’s neck, leaving a wet path of her tongue to then bite and suck on the skin, still continuously working the brunette with her fingers inside of her. Her teeth tighten lightly around the skin of her neck and Gina comes with a cry of Emma's name, shuddering and moaning through her release that’s gushing around the blonde’s fingers. 

Gina turns to putty in her arms, so Emma grabs her by the waist and holds her tightly against her body while she pulls her fingers out from the brunette to lick them clean of her juices. Gina watches her with her lips wrapped between her teeth, a seductive smile on her satisfied face. Then, a bruise on Gina’s neck calls her attention: her teeth caused the skin to turn extremely red and slightly purple.

Emma blushes because of it. She didn’t know if she could leave marks on the olive skin, but Gina had been so pleased when Emma sunk her teeth on her skin that she was unable to stop.

“You left me a hickey, huh?” The brunette teased, touching the bruise with her fingers softly.

“Sorry,” Emma apologizes with a sheepish shrug, but Gina just kisses her soundly on the lips, silently telling her that it’s okay.

“All right, dear, what do you want to do now?” Gina asks, her eyes and words bordering sexual ideas once again.

“I was thinking we could go biking?” Emma shyly suggests as surprised eyes gaze at her. “We could go to the arrival pier or visit Play Island. I had lunch at Blu restaurant today with my friends. The views are amazing. We should explore,” she keeps suggesting, but Gina remains silent, seeming to ponder carefully what Emma is proposing.

After what seems like long seconds, Gina finally says, “Okay, Emma. We can go biking. But not for too long because I want us to enjoy the ocean here later, okay?”

“Yep, that’s perfect.” Emma kisses Gina briefly on the lips.

“Let me just grab my camera and we can go.”

Emma watches as Gina quickly grabs her professional camera from inside the wardrobe, a handbag to put two water bottles inside from the freezer, and then finishes dressing in black sandals and sunglasses.

“I’m ready,” she says, looking at Emma expectantly, and the blonde just nods with a smile. “Where would you like to visit first?” 

“Maybe the arrival pier?” Emma answers. “It’s so beautiful there.”

“All right.”

They hop on their bikes and pedal away from the Crescent in instants, choosing the path inside the vegetation to navigate side by side with their bikes. The arrival pier is where the seaplane drops every new guest when arriving on the island. It’s where Emma first got a glimpse of the enormous sight of turquoise water and fell in love with everything instantly. Going back there is something she had wanted to do ever since her first day here.

They get to the arrival pier in five minutes, stationing their bikes against a palm tree. The minute Gina’s sandalled feet touch the white sand, she clutches her camera and starts snapping photos of her surroundings with great ease. Then, all of a sudden, she turns to Emma and snaps a picture of her dumbfounded face.

“Hey!” She exclaims with a sheepish smile, instinctively raising a hand to block her face from the flashes.

“You look cute,” Gina says with a smirk, her fingers snapping a few other pictures of Emma as she blushes profusely.

“Then give me the camera to take _your_ picture because you are the cutest,” Emma replies, reaching to grab the camera and Gina lets her with that beautiful smirk still on her face. Emma doesn’t hesitate to take a picture of that exact moment.

“Let’s go to the pier,” Gina says, pulling Emma by the hand to drag her to the wooded path of the pier. The seaplane is not there right now and neither is anyone from the staff, thankfully. Emma knows by now that Gina likes her privacy, and it’s less uncomfortable to take pictures when there is no one around to watch.

Emma lets Gina walk further ahead on the pier, carrying her handbag as she stares at the immensity of blue water before her eyes. Emma takes the opportunity to snap a few other pictures of Gina’s back and the turquoise waters. Then, the brunette turns around slightly to look at the blonde, her feet ready to move again, but Emma takes another photo, capturing the perfect pose and image. This woman is fucking _breathtaking_ , she can’t deny that for a second.

“Come here,” Gina calls, extending her hand to Emma, which looks a bit far away.

Emma goes over to the brunette, eager to feel her close again, and grasps her hand as they walk further towards the end of the pier where a beautiful wooded cabin stands. They spend a few minutes there gazing out at the ocean and snapping pictures of it, and also looking at Gina because she is just as beautiful as the waters of the sea.

Emma laughs at the description of the other woman in her mind but continues to snap more and more pictures of Gina and the ocean.

“Should we head to Play Island now? I know some unexplored spots that we could visit," Gina says.

Emma nods, giving the brunette an eager smile as she is pulled so they can walk back to their bikes. They pedal away from the arrival pier, going towards the short bridge that connects the two parts of the island: Chill and Play. While Gina pedals ahead of her, she takes the opportunity to snap a few pictures of her back with her phone, unable to stop herself. When she is back by Gina’s side again, they enter the path to the vegetation and Emma can feel the bracing breezes coming from the countless trees and the song of birds around them. She loves biking so much; that feeling of motion, the speed and the rise and fall of the path, the chance to go over grass, mud or road... It is a kind of freedom she always craves during her days off of the police station. It’s a sort of liberty, a privilege of movement to build the muscles whilst having such fun, and to have the opportunity to bike around a paradisiac place like this is something Emma only pictured in her dreams. She never once imagined meeting someone like Gina to share these moments with.

Emma continues to snap a few pictures with her phone of the vegetation around, glimpses of the sea through the trees, and bits of Gina too. They pass through a few people on the light-sand path, watching as some of them enter their beach houses. They pass over a few facilities of this part of the island like the Explorers Kids Club, the restaurant Nest that looks like a jungle through and through, the tennis court and the Surf Shack area, stalling for a bit to look at the surfers getting ready to catch some waves.

With Gina leading the way, their bikes finally reach the beach sand where there is no path for their bicycles, and the muscles of Emma’s thighs feel the change of pressure instantly. They pass through a part of the island where there are no beach houses, no facilities around. Just the trees and vegetation; much like something you would see in a movie like Madagascar. At last, they stop their bikes and rest them against a shadowed part of the trees.

Emma stands beside Gina, staring out at the ocean that looks much different from the other areas of the island. Here, it’s deeper, the colour a darker shade of blue, and you can spot the waves crashing in the middle of the beach, big and loud, not calm and serene like the other parts. That’s probably why there are no beach houses around, or people to bathe, for that matter — just a few surfers catching the waves in the distance.

“I love this part of the island,” Gina comments, camera already in hand to snap a few pictures of the sight. “It’s calm and peaceful because there is no one around, but the harsh sounds of the waves tell you otherwise.”

Emma smiles at the observation, intercalating her eyes between Gina and the blue ocean.

“When was the last time you came here?”

“During my first visit to the island. I went exploring on my own and stayed for a while here, looking out at the ocean and getting lost in the thoughts of my head,” she explains with a sheepish smile.

“You sound like a lone wolf,” she mutters, hearing a chuckle escape Gina’s lips.

“Sometimes I am. But today, I am not, because you’re here with me.”

“And I am glad that I am,” Emma answers, arms wrapping around the brunette’s figure in an embrace.

Gina grins and kisses Emma soundly on the lips. “Let’s take a picture together,” she says and the blonde promptly nods, watching as Gina turns the camera lens to them and they smile at the camera. Then, Gina pulls away and turns the camera to Emma. “Now it’s time I photobomb you, dear.”

Emma chuckles, feeling embarrassed to have a camera pointing to her and the other woman observing her so intently through the lens. But she smiles for the pictures, doing poses she thinks are funny and sexy, making Gina laugh, which is her favourite sound by now.

After that, they sit on the sand, side by side, arms and thighs touching as they stare at the immensity of the blue water and feel the burning sun on their skin.

“So, my friends are going to Subsix tonight and I was wondering if you’d like to come with us?”

“Oh, the nightclub underwater,” she acknowledges. “I’ve been there once. You should definitely go with them.”

Emma waits for Gina to say anything else because she hasn’t explicitly said she doesn’t want to go yet. But when she doesn't, Emma prompts in, “You don’t want to come?”

Gina’s lips purse together as she seems to ponder about what to say. “I… I’d rather stay in, Emma. There is much to enjoy the calmness of the inside of my water villa.”

Emma smiles knowingly. “That is true. And I told them I wouldn’t go if you didn’t want to tag along.”

Gina’s eyebrows arch in mild surprise. “Are you really going to ditch them again?”

“They’re totally fine with it,” she assures with a shrug.

“So, you want to spend the night with me again?” Gina purrs, her voice low and tantalizing as a seductive smirk appears on her lips.

“Are you still doubting it?”

“Not anymore,” the brunette answers, leaning in so close Emma can feel her fresh breath on her own. “Isn’t it time we go back to the villa?” A hand reaches out to caress blonde hair slowly, the sexy smirk on Gina’s lips increasing and Emma smiles back, knowing all the delicious things they could be doing back at the villa.

“It’s definitely the right time.” Emma grasps Gina’s face with both her hands, pulling her into a firm kiss, then plants another kiss on the spot where she left the hickey on her neck. The brunette shivers instantly at the unexpected touch and pushes Emma slowly away.

“Let’s go,” she says, at last, pulling Emma towards their bikes so they can go back to the Crescent.

The ride back lasts fifteen minutes, as they don’t stop anywhere to take more photos. When they get to the Crescent, they leave their bikes by the front door and enter the water villa. The first thing Gina does is take off her black cover, turning to Emma dressed only in that apricot bikini that looks so beautiful on her.

Gina grabs Emma’s hand, flashing her a smile. “What do you say we go for a quick swim in the ocean?”

Emma smiles back, promptly nodding. “I’d love it.”

Soon they’re descending the stairs of the wooden platform together and diving in simultaneously into the turquoise waters of the ocean. Inside the water, she sees Gina swimming beside her, further away from the water villa, and Emma dutifully follows her, feeling the gentleness of the calming and clean ocean water wading through her body. The coral reefs are easily visible in this part of the ocean, but they are too small compared to the part where the marine biologist took Emma and her friends two days ago. But any type of corals makes diving even greater because they are truly enchanting. 

When Gina stops, Emma does as well, emerging to face the beauty before her with her hair wet and clingy, her face and upper body drenched with water droplets while from the waist down, her body is covered by turquoise water.

“Small fishes usually appear in this part of the water villas,” Gina comments, facing down the see-through cleanest water Emma has ever seen.

She looks behind her back and realizes they’ve swum a few meters from the water villa, yet the water doesn’t cover beyond their waist.

“Look! They’re here!” Gina exclaims, pointing to the water beside them, then pulls Emma to merge into the ocean again to watch the yellow-grey fishes underwater. Her eyes hurt a bit from not having goggles on, but she tries to keep them open and watch as the fishes swim around them.

“This place is so paradisiac,” Emma confesses when they emerge. They are facing each other with matching grins, both happy to be in such a fascinating environment. Then, unable to contain herself, she blurts out, “ _You_ are paradisiac.”

Gina’s grin turns wider and, _God,_ so beautiful, and Emma pulls her closer by the waist, burying her face in her neck to press open-mouthed kisses on the wet skin. Their lips meet quickly after that, starting a deep, passionate kiss; their tongues tasting each other in a way that it’s familiar by now and so damn good. Emma never gets tired of those lips. 

She feels a cold droplet of water on her shoulder, then another and another. The wind blows, chilly on their warm skin, but the sun is still up in the sky as the unforeseen summer rain covers the turquoise ocean. They stop kissing, but their mouths are still too close to feel each other’s breath upon their lips. They watch the rain for a few minutes, the drops only becoming rain until they reach the sea, then they become a part of the briny blue, moving with the further waves as one. It’s a majestic moment, so _paradisiac_ like everything on this island, and she is with this incredible, amazing woman. Right at that moment, Emma realizes she’d like to have many other moments like this with her, even after they leave the island. It all feels too good to be real.

“C’mon, let’s head back to the villa. The rain is getting cold,” Gina says, pulling Emma away from her surprising stupor. She nods in response and they swim back, side by side, as the rain falls on the ocean and the water turns into subtle waves of its own according to the wind.

Once stepping on the wooden platform of the water villa, Emma grabs Gina by the waist and draws her lips to hers, both of them smiling into the sudden kiss as the soft rain cascades from the sky, never letting them dry. This moment right there is something Emma never had felt before. It’s so unusual to kiss someone under the rain, yet, there she is, kissing a woman she barely knows as rain pours from the bright sky, and they are incapable of letting each other go. It’s passionate, romantic, and there is raw desire forming in the pit of Emma’s stomach to take Gina right there, _right now_ , under this unexpected rain.

Before long, the rain droplets stop, giving space again for the sun to brighten on the sky. They stop kissing each other right then, both surprised by the weather’s quick change. Emma takes some time to observe the sky and the once again calm ocean, and then, locks emerald eyes into brown ones. They seem impossibly darker, blown with lust; so different from what they were before the rain had stopped: gentle, compassionate, loving. It’s as if the rain set a different setting in their lives, but now it’s all gone, and back is the rough desire they have for each other. 

“Want to go in the jacuzzi? I want to get warmer,” Gina suggests, her tone low and seductive, instantly letting Emma know exactly what she wants.

“Yes, _yes,_ please, let’s go,” she supplicates, receiving a brief kiss on her lips before Gina descends the stairs of the jacuzzi and Emma just watches her, always amazed by her presence and everything she says or does.

For a few seconds, Emma glances at the sun, watching as it starts to set at the horizon, changing the sky into different shades of grey due to the rain, whilst a small spot for the sun continues bright, turning the infinity pool and jacuzzi of the water villa into a darker shade of blue. Then, her eyes travel back to Gina, who is also staring at the sky, her body resting against the border of the jacuzzi in a sideways pose. The small light from the sun and the way the water of the jacuzzi is highlighted reminds Emma that it’d be a great picture. Looking around her, she spots Gina’s camera on the daybed by the pool and quickly grabs it to take a quick shot of the outstanding brunette.

Upon hearing the familiar ‘click’, Gina turns to her and smiles at the camera, so Emma takes a bunch of other pictures because this woman is a work of art.

“ _Em_ - _ma_ ,” Gina suddenly whines, pulling the blonde out of her daze of photographs. “Get in here. I want you.”

Her heart pumps harder in her chest due to those words. She hastily places the camera back on the daybed, then walks into the jacuzzi, soon finding comfort beside Gina’s body underwater. 

The brunette quickly cups her face with one hand, leaning in to mutter in her ear, “I haven’t had the time to fuck you today yet.” Emma moans at the dirty words, pulling the brunette quickly into her lap as goosebumps appear on her whole body. “You know it’s your fault because _you_ decided to drag me out to explore the island before I could reciprocate the favour.”

“I know,” she groans out, happy that the favour is about to happen now.

Gina’s hands quickly find Emma’s bikini laces, undoing them with her skilled fingers. Emma moans again at the sudden touch, loving to have those hands on her body again, and decides to do the same: she quickly undoes Gina’s laces, leaving her braless in instants. Their breasts press together as they both draw in for a hungry kiss. They really can’t get enough of each other.

Emma kneads those protruding nipples, both extremely hard due to the water, while Gina starts to pull Emma’s bikini bottoms down her legs. She wants her now, and she wants it _fast_. The blonde complies, for sure, also making her hands useful to take Gina’s panties off, but never separating their lips. The position is uncomfortable, but soon they’re completely naked, their bodies wet and grinding simultaneously against each other. Chlorine water is not a good place to have sex, and Emma knows that, so that’s why she stops them completely, looking deeply into brown pools of desire.

“We can’t have sex in here.”

Gina nods wordlessly, and quickly pulls away from Emma, ready to stand up and leave the jacuzzi. Emma follows her right after, entering the bedroom, and is happy to receive a dry towel from the brunette to dry herself. Minutes later, she is unexpectedly being thrown on the bed, towel ripped from her hands, as a feral Gina crawls on top of her.

“I need you, Emma,” she mutters breathlessly to then kiss Emma again, hard, just as her gorgeous body starts to move on top of Emma. They’re not completely dried off, so the action is better, slicker, and so _good_. 

Gina sits with her pussy right on Emma’s, just like the other night, and starts moving slowly, their wetness turning into one. Her palms glide up Emma’s toned stomach to teasingly grope two heavy breasts, and Emma moans because this is too good, so fucking _erotic,_ and her nipples are still very sensitive. Gina starts to move faster on top of her, increasing their wetness and the feeling on their clits. It’s not long before Gina lets out a loud cry and her hips jerk up as she comes hard, drenching all over Emma's pussy with her release. Emma comes after her, lips opening in a low moan as she humps up against the other woman to draw out her orgasm, the wetness between them squelching and dripping onto the bed.

Gina lets her tired body fall completely on Emma’s, resting her head in the crook of the blonde’s neck as their breathing takes some minutes to normalize. Emma takes the opportunity to embrace Gina, pulling her tighter against herself to feel the amazing contact of skin on the skin after sex. The brunette hums approvingly at the contact, snuggling closer to the blonde.

Emma suddenly feels the tiredness of today’s activities, plus last night’s hours having the time of her life with Gina. She could sleep right here, right now, in Gina’s arms. But the brunette surprises her once more as her hand slides through Emma’s stomach, finding her sensitive pussy quickly next. Emma moans at the contact and Gina hums in her neck, giving her body goosebumps. 

Emma _is_ tired, but not tired enough to stop any of what Gina is willing to give her tonight. Gina wastes no time to slam two fingers inside her, easily burying them within tight, clinging heat and smiling at the sound of Emma's surprised gasp. The blonde immediately grinds on Gina's hand, wanting the fingers to go deeper and reach her g-spot. The brunette bites Emma’s earlobe, her tongue darting out to teasingly lick the flesh as her hand works faster between Emma’s legs. 

She opens her legs wider, signalling she wants more, faster, and another great orgasm. Emma is not denied of that because, soon after, Gina adds another finger inside her while her thumb touches her clit briefly, and then she’s coming again, her body arching off of the bed to meet the rhythm of Gina’s fingers, the satisfaction sweeping over Emma like a wave. She feels boneless, giddy, super tired from the water of the ocean and these amazing orgasms and, _holy shit_ , Gina really knows how to get an orgasm out of her quickly.

Emma has her eyes closed and a foolish smile on her lips, and she can feel Gina’s eyes on her, but she only opens them when the brunette strokes her fingers through Emma’s hair softly.

“Are you tired, dear?” She asks in that throaty voice Emma is growing too fond of.

“A bit. Today has been quite eventful,” she confesses, inclining her head to meet Gina halfway in a brief kiss.

“Indeed. We could take a nap if you want,” the brunette suggests quietly, still stroking blonde hair and that is surely adding to Emma’s need for sleep.

“Yes, I’d love that,” Emma responds, circling her hand around Gina’s waist and pulling the slim body snuggly against hers.

“All right.”

“We should definitely shower first,” she comments after adjusting her head to lay in the crook of the brunette’s neck.

Gina releases a low whine, her hands still moving through blonde tresses. “I know.”

And that’s the last thing Emma hears before falling asleep.

* * *

♬

_Be the ocean, where I unravel_

_Be my only, be the water where I'm wading_

— Lykke Li

Emma is dreaming of bright smiles and warm hugs, feeling her hair being caressed softly, making it extremely hard for her to wake up. But she is aware that she is in Gina’s bed, wrapped around her, and they were meant to take a nap. She opens her eyes, finding dark brown staring right at her. That bright smile from her dream is right there too, smiling at her and twisting her insides at the feeling of this woman.

“How long was I asleep?”

“I just woke up, too. We probably slept one hour or so,” Gina answers, her hand still caressing blonde locks tenderly.

“It’s dark outside already,” Emma says, lifting her body on her elbows to look at the infinity pool that leads to the dark ocean and sky.

“Yeah,” Gina looks pensive as she stares at Emma longingly. “Emma, are you sure you don’t want to go with your friends to the nightclub? I don’t want to hold you back.”

The blonde shakes her head at the comment, instinctively wrapping her arm around Gina’s naked waist. “You’re not holding me back, Gina.” She places a chaste kiss on the brunette’s neck. “I want to be here… with you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Definitely sure.”

“Okay.” Gina captures Emma’s lips in a slow peck, then moves to stand up. “Wanna shower?”

“Yes, please,” she answers, standing up fully naked to grab Gina’s hand. “But you know I don’t have any clothes, right? And my bikini… well, it’s somewhere outside,” Emma says with a shrug, feeling a light blush appear on her cheeks.

“Don’t worry, dear. I’ll lend you some clothes.” Gina pulls her by the hand and they enter the bathroom, both unbothered by their full nakedness.

Emma has never been so comfortable like this with anyone she had met just for a few days, or on a one-nightstand. This is new for her; the calming sensations, the sentiment of liberty she feels with this woman is something Emma had never experienced before.

They get into the outside shower together, and with the press of a button, the water cascades. Gina gets under first, her hair becoming wet instantly as well as her gorgeous, fit body that Emma can’t stop staring.

“You’re beautiful,” she says, eyeing the brunette up and down appreciatively, receiving a mischievous smile from the other woman. 

“So are you,” Gina says back before pulling Emma to get under the water, the pressure and temperature just perfect on her skin.

While Gina pours shampoo on her hair, Emma stares and stares, her chest feeling light at such domesticity and comfortableness she is experiencing on the island with this woman. Showering is something usually done alone, between lovers, people who are in a relationship, or best friends with benefits. It’s something so casual that everyone does every day, yet so intimate when done with someone else, and here she is, showering with a woman she barely knows, having sensations she has never felt before and creating moments she will probably never be able to forget. There is no awkwardness between them; no fake smiles, nothing of sorts. They are showering together as if they had done it several times before and that realization sends a sign deep in her heart she hadn’t been feeling for a while.

Gina hands her the shampoo, and whilst Emma rubs on her head, the other woman pulls Emma gently against her. Her soaped hands glide on Emma’s body, finding her breasts and teasing her nipples as Emma gets tired of rubbing shampoo on her hair and descends her hands to Gina’s ass, squeezing it. The brunette kisses her briefly on the lips, sliding her tongue inside to meet Emma’s, then pulls away reluctantly to wash her hair again.

And that’s how the shower goes: teasing and tender touches here and there, leaving Emma wet in all the ways, but they don’t do anything other than that since she imagines Gina is as very much tired from biking this afternoon as she is.

Fluffy towel wrapped around her body, Emma feels more rested and suddenly very hungry, realizing only then that she hadn’t eaten anything after lunch.

“I’ll order us some food,” Gina says as if she had been reading Emma’s mind. “What would you like?”

“I heard they have some interesting vegan options available, but haven’t had the time to try,” she says with a shrug and Gina nods at her.

“That’s a good idea. I’ll order it and get you some clothes,” the brunette explains, planting a firm peck on Emma’s lips before leaving the bathroom.

Alone in there, Emma takes her time to use the toilet and brush her teeth. Minutes later, Gina knocks on the door and hands Emma a pair of short, silky pyjamas that already feels soft just to the touch. She puts it on quickly, then leaves the bathroom, instantly listening to the song coming from the stereo. It’s reggae and the beat suddenly makes Emma want to dance. She finds Gina on the bed, concentrated on the resort’s tablet. When Emma plops down beside her, the brunette gives her a small smile.

“They said it’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.”

“And what should we do while we wait?” Emma questions with an arched eyebrow, her hands already finding solace around the brunette’s slim waist.

Gina smirks at her. “I can think of a few things,” she says, her voice low and tantalizing.

Her lips are attacked by soft plump ones, but Emma suddenly feels the need to use this time to do something else — to talk to each other, right? They’ve done a lot these past days, except for talking about their lives or just... getting to know each other.

“Or,” she breaks the kiss. “We could talk.”

Gina instantly frowns, looking at her as if she had grown a second head. “Talk? Talk about what?”

Emma cups Gina’s face, using her thumb to caress her cheek. “I’m curious about you.” When the brunette doesn’t answer, Emma continues, “I don’t even know where you’re from,” she confesses, chuckling as Gina smiles sheepishly at her.

“Why don’t you guess?”

Emma hums pensively before suggesting, “Well, your English is great and you have what I would assume is an American accent, so I guess you’re from the US?”

Gina arches her eyebrows at the suggestion, an amused smirk on her face. “Are you sure it’s an American accent? I could be from Canada.”

Emma rolls her eyes. “You’re not because you haven’t said, ‘eh’ at all since we’ve met.”

The brunette chuckles, and answers, “Yes, Emma, I’m North American. And you?”

“I am, too. Which state are you from?”

Gina sighs, lifting her body on her elbows to stare at Emma. “Why are you so caught up in the outside world? Haven’t I distracted you enough?” Gina teases, cupping Emma’s face tenderly to start another kiss. 

Emma, however, breaks the kiss again and says, “I’m just interested in you.”

Gina moves to sit on Emma’s lap, lowering her body so it’s in contact with the blonde’s. Her hand reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind Emma’s ear. “Life on the island is paradisiac,” she starts. “Why would you ever want to think about anything but?” Emma is at a loss of words due to the unexpected question. “Let’s not talk about complications, please? Let’s live the moment right now.”

Emma doesn’t have enough time to answer because Gina kisses her deeply, distracting her entirely from her questions, especially when the brunette grinds her sex against her thigh. Everything doubt and curiosity quickly fade away when Gina descends her mouth through Emma’s body and buries her face between her legs, making the blonde forget everything she wanted to know. _For now._

Unfortunately, when she is about to reattribute the favour to Gina, their food arrives and they’re distracted and utterly satisfied by the delicious flavours the gourmet chefs of the island prepared for them. Emma is planning to ask Gina other stuff after dinner, but, once again, the brunette distracts her, only this time she dances to the beat of _I_ _Follow Rivers,_ driving Emma towards her like a magnet. Emma grins at the other woman, finding her so unique and so special and like no one else she has ever met before. 

Gina wraps her arms around Emma’s neck, but her body doesn’t stop moving to the beat of the song. Emerald eyes meet dark brown so intensely that Emma feels her face flush warm and the hairs on her neck stand. Something flutters in her stomach, telling that she wants so much more of this, of moments like these. She wants to spend her days with someone, wants to feel their comfort and closeness every night; and has so much to give back.

“Gina,” she mutters breathlessly. She wants to ask more questions, wants to know more of this woman, but a finger presses gently on her lips.

“Feel the beat with me.”

Their foreheads meet, their smiles match and they dance to the beat of the song, together, on this paradisiac island. For a while, Emma forgets about the brunette’s dismissiveness of her curiosity, but tomorrow she will try again. _Tomorrow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems like Gina would rather have sex than talk, huh? Why's that? Does anyone have a clue? If so, can you tell me below? :D


	5. She Is Gone

♬

_I got this need for you_

_Forming in my beating heart_

_I knew the meaning right away_

_We only yesterday, we were worlds apart_

— BANKS

Emma wakes up to the sound of Gina’s breathing on her neck and a loose arm around her waist. A smile instantly forms on her lips, telling her how much she enjoys this sensation of having someone in her arms. It’s so intimate and it feels so safe. The last person Emma has slept with and cuddled was Lily, her ex-girlfriend, who broke up with her a year ago and left Emma completely devastated. After the breakup, Emma focused on having countless one-night stands with women she barely remembers their names. It had felt empty; she was just looking for someone to take care of her needs during the night. The mornings after, there was no cuddling, no hands around the waist, no soft breathing against her neck. It felt like a business transaction to have sex and never look at each other again. But Emma couldn’t help it; it had been her coping method for a while. At the time, she barely cared and certainly wasn’t looking for someone to date. However, now she is in the Maldives, wrapped around a stranger who she really doesn’t know much about, but being with her feels like everything is right. 

Despite the amazing sensations of comfort and safety, it is strange how, last night, Gina had been keen on distracting Emma from asking simple questions about her life outside of the island. The brunette didn’t seem to want to answer her questions, and neither wanted to ask the blonde questions. Last night was easy to let herself be distracted by everything, and she completely understood Gina, at some point: she didn’t want to pop their happy bubble of pure sex and fun to think about complications of real life. Emma understood that. But her days on the island are almost over, yet she doesn’t know when Gina flies home, or where her home is, for that matter. The only thing she knows is that Gina is from the United States.

Emma has never felt so strongly for a stranger before like she feels with Gina. Lily had been her first love, yet, she had known her since college. She wasn’t a stranger; she was a friend that became something more. But Gina _is_ a stranger and she has made Emma feel so many sensations these past four days together. What started as a simple fling between strangers became so much more… well, at least to Emma. Her persistence on pursuing Gina for a second time had given her incredible moments to cherish, but now that she knows that her time is almost ending on the island, she started noticing how much more she wants it. 

Emma wants to see Gina outside of the island. She wants whatever they have created on this island to continue in their home country. The problem is: she has no idea if Gina wants the same. From the way they have been treating each other, though, it tells Emma that the other woman would like to do so. However, she is not sure. That’s why they should talk about it today.

Gina stirs in her arms, snuggling more around Emma’s body, and then slowly lifts her head to meet green eyes.

“Good morning,” Emma greets, giving the brunette a smile.

She receives a small smile back, but it doesn’t reach brown eyes. “Morning, Emma.”

The blonde leans in to press a kiss to Gina’s cheek, and then the brunette adjusts herself against Emma again, releasing a deep breath. Emma stays in silence for a few minutes, trying to absorb the sensation of having Gina in her arms. But this is unusual. Yesterday morning was different. Gina was different yesterday.

“Are you okay?” She asks, her voice worried.

“Yes, Emma. I’m just tired. Last night was wild,” she confesses with a dry chuckle that Emma joins as well.

“ _So_ wild,” she stresses, being reminded of how many orgasms Gina gave her last night when trying to distract her from asking more questions. Without a doubt, Gina is the best sex partner Emma has ever had.

Gina grins against her neck, her right hand moving from Emma’s stomach to entangle their fingers. The action surprises the blonde, but she reciprocates, tightening their fingers together and using her left arm to bring Gina’s body closer. The position is beyond amazing; so comfortable and so warm. Emma wishes to never leave.

Gina’s breathing changes quickly, telling Emma she is probably falling asleep again. She decides to let her mind rest for a while too and closes her eyes to focus only on the sensation of having this woman pressed against her. 

She is falling in a slumber of sleep when a loud ringtone fills the room, startling then both out of sleep.

“ _Shit_ , it’s my phone,” Gina grumbles, disentangling herself from Emma to reach the phone on the bedside table. Emma instantly feels cold at the loss of warmth even though the sun is bright outside. “I’m sorry, Emma, but I have to take this,” Gina explains, pointing to the phone, then hops completely naked out of bed and enters the bathroom. The door shuts behind her and Emma is left alone staring at the immensity of water through the deck doors.

She buries herself deeper between the covers and pulls Gina’s pillow to her chest, feeling the sweet scent of her shampoo. The brunette stays in the bathroom for a whole ten minutes, and she realizes it’s probably an important call since it’s taking her so long. Gina appears by the bed with her body wrapped in a fluffy white robe to cover her nakedness and, as soon as their eyes meet again, Emma catches the different look on her face: she looks even more tired than before and maybe a bit distressed too. It was probably caused by the phone call and Emma longs to ask about it, but she knows Gina is private, so she decides to not mention the phone call and just asks about her.

“Hey, are you okay?” She sits up on the bed, extending her hand for the brunette to approach her again.

“Yes, everything is fine,” Gina responds, giving the blonde a small smile that, once again, doesn’t reach her eyes. She straddles Emma’s body slowly on the bed, cupping her face in her hands. “I just have some things to work on right now, Emma.” The blonde frowns slightly, but Gina only leans closer; her fingers touching Emma’s lips tenderly. “And… and I have another spa session scheduled a bit after lunch, so… can we see each other later?”

Emma swallows, drinking in the intensity of brown eyes that are fully penetrated on hers, waiting for a reaction. Something deep within Emma tells her that Gina is making this up, but she can’t be sure, since she doesn’t know the woman that well. Besides, she didn’t expect to leave so soon as she did yesterday. Emma had actually been hoping they would get to talk and get to know each other better this morning. She thought Gina wouldn’t bother with her questions today, but it seems she won’t be able to ask them now, unfortunately. But they will see each other later in the afternoon, at least, just like yesterday.

“Yes, sure, no problem,” she finally answers, giving the brunette a small smile and receiving a gentle peck on the lips that take longer than expected.

Emma pulls Gina against her, embracing her waist tightly, not wanting to let go; to leave her right now. But if she has other stuff to do, Emma has no other option but leave and come back later. 

“I’m really sorry, Emma,” Gina apologizes, eyes gazing deeply into emerald ones.

Emma doesn’t understand why Gina is apologizing because yesterday they had done the same thing. But maybe the brunette wanted the same as Emma: to spend the whole morning together and getting to know each other. However, it seems like fate (or time, whatever) wasn’t in their favour once again.

“Hey, don’t worry. We’ll see each other again later, okay? Besides, you really need a spa session to relax,” she says teasingly, giving the brunette a reassuring smile and a pat on the ass, but Gina just keeps staring at her, studying her features with a blank expression on her face.

Then, she hops off of Emma wordlessly and the blonde takes the cue to go looking for her clothes on the deck. She finds them a few meters by the pool, and thankfully, they’re all dry. She feels Gina’s stare on her back the whole time, even when she turns to her to smile again. But the brunette is staring at her longingly like she doesn’t want Emma to leave at all. It’s weird, and Emma doesn’t comment on it; just finishes dressing herself to then walk towards the brunette again.

“I’ll see you later, all right?” She says, looking Gina deep in the eyes. The latter nods reluctantly then circles her arms around Emma’s neck, pressing their bodies deliciously together. Oh, how Emma wished to cuddle all morning with this woman…

“All right,” Gina says, hesitantly letting Emma go. 

The blonde grabs her phone, puts it in her pocket and flips on her sandals. Gina accompanies her to the door and watches as Emma hops on her bike, ready to go. But before she leaves, the brunette barges to her and kisses her soundly on the lips, grinning brightly at her. That causes butterflies to appear in her stomach and her heart gets lighter in her chest. God, _fuck,_ she wants to stay more. _Ugh_. She wants more, more, and _more_.

“Bye, Emma.”

“Bye, Gina,” she says, at last, and bikes away from the water villa with a stupid grin on her face. Holy shit, these butterflies flying in her stomach are _insane_. It’s clear to her right now that she wants so much more soft kisses and morning cuddles; so much more of two-on-two dinners and late nights dancing; so much more of wild nights of sex and morning afters together, in bed, in each other’s arms. She wants so much more of Gina, _holy shit_.

She swallows down the sentiment, trying to act cool because she _can’t_ be feeling this much for a woman she has only met five days ago, right? It’s too soon, it’s… too much. Besides, if her friends knew what she was feeling inside, they would definitely make fun of her. In their group, she has always been an overly emotional lesbian who likes to U-Haul. With Lily it had been so quick: they started dating during their last semester in college, and by graduation, they were already moving in together. Emma had been completely blind by her love for Lily and didn’t realize for a minute that maybe the other woman was just playing with her and didn’t want anything serious at the moment. That was until she met her new girlfriend, Fiona, and downright got engaged to her. What an _ass._

To this day, Emma’s friends are always wary of who she dates because they sure don’t want the blonde to find someone like Lily again to date. Emma has had enough trying to mend the pieces of her broken heart because of her ex.

When she reaches the beach villa 48, she senses something different. The back doors are closed and her friends aren’t having breakfast together outside like they were yesterday. Emma checks the time on her phone and realizes it’s still a bit early for vacationers to wake up, anyway. If it were for Gina, Emma bets they would still be sleeping together in each other’s arms, and the brunette had probably forgotten she had other things to do (whatever those things were).

Reluctantly, Emma knocks on the back door and waits for some answer from the other side. When it seems there is none, she knocks harder this time, and suddenly hears Mulan’s voice:

“Who is it?”

“It’s Emma, _duh_ ,” she says mockingly and then hears the muffled curses escaping her fellow friend’s mouth and some ruffling around the room. What if they were… well, fucking last night and completely naked this morning? Completely possible. Emma would be happy if they were _finally_ getting it on. It was about time, anyway.

When the door finally opens, it’s a dishevelled Elsa who appears, dressed in her skimpy pyjamas that are all crumpled and staring at Emma with a bored face whilst in the back, Mulan is trying to get dressed without Emma seeing. God, these two. Who are they trying to fool here?

“I thought you were boning the hot woman from the bar?” Elsa prompts in with a husky voice that sounds like she had been drinking and smoking all night.

Emma smirks at her, looking her friend up and down with an arched eyebrow. “And you were boning my favourite detective.”

Elsa blushes instantly, her eyes widening as Mulan approaches, looking as much as dishevelled as Elsa, but stares at Emma only, seeming to want to avert the other blonde’s eyes.

“What’s up, Emma? I thought you were occupied having loads of sex with that woman?” Mulan asks, the same tone as Elsa, and that proves she hasn't heard what Emma said before she approached.

“I was. But you and Elsa apparently have been having loads of sex too.”

Mulan’s eyes widen, just like Elsa’s do it again, and their faces turn pink.

“Wha-what?” Mulan stutters, helpless, and Elsa recovers herself and rolls her eyes at Emma.

“Our cover has been blown, Mulan.”

Emma laughs at the comical face Mulan does, trying to keep the lie intact, but that only makes Emma laugh harder. “You both are terrible at pretending,” she says, finally entering the beach villa.

“Shit,” Mulan mutters, defeated.

“Why were you trying to hide, anyway? We’re all friends here for God’s sake.”

“We didn’t know it was going to happen, and when it did, we didn’t want to say anything not to steal Ruby’s and Belle’s thunder.”

Emma chuckles. “They would be thrilled if you two were together, honestly.”

“Really?” Elsa asks, her face a mist of surprise.

“Yes, you guys!” Emma exclaims, beyond happy that her friends finally worked it out. “Now, can we please get ready to have breakfast? I’m starving!”

* * *

♬

_By the time you walked away_

_I already knew I couldn’t fake it_

— BANKS

Emma and her friends decide to have breakfast at Blu restaurant again because the vibe of that place is too good to resist. They even use the opportunity to get in the huge, oval pool with an outstanding view of the ocean and have fun together. While they chill in the water with alcoholic drinks in their hands, the girls tell Emma how fun and interesting the nightclub yesterday had been. Emma knows she missed the opportunity to visit a restaurant underwater to spend time with Gina, but she doesn’t regret it _at all_. Last night had been perfect and she couldn’t complain. Besides, her friends aren’t angry with her for ditching them; they seem to be happy that she had found someone to get romantically involved with for a longer one-night stand. 

The girls obviously don’t resist asking Emma how last night with Gina had been. She tells them how far they went by bike, how many incredible photos they took and how fun it was to explore the island with Gina. She fills them with details of how perfect Gina’s water villa is, how useful the pool, jacuzzi and the queen-sized bed had been to them, and all the other advantages the water villa has, realizing that Ruby and Belle get a bit jealous of it, wanting to have a suite like that for themselves. But all of them know how expensive that is. That thought leads Emma to wonder what Gina’s profession could be: probably a CEO of some company because she sure has the pose of one; or a professional clothing designer? All kinds of high-up professions seem to fit Gina’s personality and wealthiness. Emma just wishes she knew something personal about her that weren’t mere suspicions of her mind. Thankfully, none of her friends asked Emma what other personal stuff she discovered about Gina because, then, she wouldn’t have anything to tell them, which is kind of weird and embarrassing. 

She wants so much to learn about the other woman and the idea of discovering more things about her makes her eager to go back to the water villa. Emma longs to come back and dive into the bedsheets with the brunette again, but it seems she will have to wait. She will go back to the villa at 3 p.m., just like she did yesterday. They didn’t settle on a time today, but Emma will follow her instincts.

When lunchtime approaches, Emma and her friends leave the pool to sit at the tables at Blu and eat once again with alcoholic drinks. The conversation never stops between them and Emma is grateful for that because it keeps her mind off of Gina and whatever she might be doing right now. By 1 p.m., their thakurus take them back to Chill Island with the island’s golf cart. It was a good idea not to come by bike because they’re clearly a bit too drunk to bike now. The golf cart rides on the path inside the vegetation and five minutes later comes to a halt in front of beach villa 48. Everyone hops out of the cart and enters the beach villa, the girls excited to just go to the back and lay on the sand to get some sun on their skin. Emma is about to enter the bathroom and start her shower when Mulan calls her name. She turns around, finding her friend by the front door with a piece of paper in her hands.

“Emma, this has your name on it,” she says, extending the piece of paper to the blonde, who is frowning at her but walks towards Mulan to get the envelope whatsoever.

“Weird…” Emma says, unfolding the note and finding inside cursive letters written neatly.

> **_Emma,_ **
> 
> **_I loved spending time with you, but the summer dream is over and it's time to get back to reality. I will remember you and I hope you also remember me. Thank you for giving me one of the best weeks of my life._ _Take care._**
> 
> **_Gina_ **

She swallows harshly, feeling her chest constricted and her heart pained in instants as those words fill her head. What the fuck did she just read?

“What is it, Emms?” Mulan asks, trying to peek at the note behind Emma’s back.

Emma closes her eyes, not wanting to say what it is because she _knows_ her friend will want an explanation; one that Emma isn’t able to give anyone since she doesn't know why she just received this note. 

“Emma?” Mulan tries again and the blonde sighs.

“It’s… it’s a note from Gina.”

Mulan’s eyebrows arch. “A note from her? Why? What does it say?”

Emma grimaces before handing the paper to Mulan. She heads over to the bed and sits down, her hands on her knees to cradle her head as she tries to take in this unexpected ‘goodbye note’ from Gina. Emma doesn’t understand. Why is she saying goodbye? Why is she leaving now? She didn’t tell Emma anything about it. She thought they were going to see each other again this afternoon as they had planned. Was all of it a lie? Didn’t Gina want to tell her she was leaving today face to face? Why? Not to hurt her feelings? God, this is so weird, so unpredictable. Why the fuck would Gina leave a note instead of just telling her? If she didn’t want to spend time with Emma anymore, she just had to say it to her face. Why did she omit her departure? Why didn’t she want to talk about life outside of the island? 

_Fuck._

Emma groans into her hands, instantly feeling her head start to pound from thinking and overthinking too much about something in just a few seconds. She honestly can’t understand what is going on right now. Emma takes a deep breath, feeling the sudden sentiment of heartbreak overcome her. Then, comes the need to cry helplessly. _Fuck, no._

“Emma, what is going on?” Mulan asks, her voice small and careful as she approaches the blonde on the bed. “I thought you said you were coming back there later to spend more time with her. Why-”

She stands up abruptly, feeling distressed. “I don’t know, okay?” She snaps, starting to pace back and forth. “This is just as surprising to me as it is to you. I don’t know why this note is here, I don’t know why she didn’t talk to me first, I don’t _know_ anything,” she vents, her voice wavering.

Mulan frowns, then pulls Emma to sit down on the bed again. “Hey, calm down, okay?” Emma nods slowly, swallowing the need to cry. _She can’t fucking cry. It’d be stupid._ “So, did she lie to you?”

Emma takes a deep breath before responding, “Well, today she did lie to me. She said we would see each other later, but now she… she’s left.”

“But why didn’t she tell you? It doesn’t make sense,” her friend points out.

“I know. I… I actually thought I’d spend this morning there, with her. But she said she had some things to solve and another spa session scheduled. It was awkward. It honestly felt like she was lying, but I couldn’t tell for real. I barely know her,” she confesses with a dismissive shrug.

Mulan takes everything in, seeming to ponder for a few minutes about what to answer. “You didn’t talk at all about your lives outside of the island?” 

Emma shakes her head. “She didn’t want to. She actually distracted me pretty well from asking questions, and I swear I tried to ask her again and again.”

Mulan frowns, then says carefully, “It seems like she didn’t want you to know anything about her life.” The blonde glares at her, feeling the pang of those words deep in her chest. “Which is okay, no? I thought you guys were just having sex with no strings attached.” Emma hesitantly nods, knowing deep in her heart that it didn’t feel like ‘just sex’. It felt stronger in a way Emma has never felt with anyone before, which is _ridiculous_. “What’s the problem then, Emma? What did you think would happen between you two? Were you expecting _more_?”

 _Yes,_ she wants to answer, but knows that it’s stupid. They’ve met on vacation, on a paradise island in the middle of nothing. What could come from something like this?

“Emma?” Mulan tries again, her hand moving to grasp the blonde’s shoulder affectionately.

“I… I hoped we would see each other again somewhere,” she shyly confesses. “It was too good. I told you — the sex was amazing. _She_ was amazing in every aspect,” Emma sighs.

“But that’s all it was, right? Good sex, a fling, mutual attraction,” Mulan continues.

“It… it was,” she hesitantly answers, hearing the contrary in her head _‘no, it wasn’t just a fling. It couldn’t have been just that.’_

Mulan gives her a small smile. “There you go, Emma. I know it sucks, but these things happen on vacation. You meet someone, have loads of sex, then go back to real life as nothing happened.”

Emma’s eyebrows arch at that, being reminded that Elsa and Mulan hooked up sometime during their vacation. Did this pep talk her friend was giving her fit herself as well?

“Is that what you and Elsa are doing?”

Mulan blushes a light shade of pink, retreating her hand from Emma’s shoulder. “We’re talking about you here, Swan.”

Emma snorts, a smirk forming on her lips, and suddenly her chest feels a bit lighter at the change of topic. “You’re diverting the topic, Hua,” she responds in a mocking tone.

Her friend huffs, shoving Emma’s shoulder playfully to then pull her into a hug. “Don’t be too upset about that woman, Emms. You can find many other ones to fuck because I _know_ you have game,” Mulan amends, patting her on the back while they’re still hugging, making Emma laugh at her words.

“What is taking you two so long?” Elsa asks, appearing by the back door in her bikinis and with her hands on her waist. Emma and Mulan break the hug immediately, turning to Elsa and finding out she is glaring at them both. Emma arches her eyebrows, realizing only then that Elsa is probably a bit jealous of her friendship with Mulan, which is _insane_ because they’re just very good friends that share every detail of their lives with each other.

“Uh, Emma had to vent about something,” Mulan lamely explains, avoiding Elsa’s eyes as she walks over to the back door to head to the beach.

“What is it, Swan?” Elsa curtly asks, her hands still on her waist trying to look somewhat superior or even _territorial_.

Emma frowns, then responds, “I… I’ll tell you all later. Go outside, I’ll be there in a few minutes,” she says, dismissing both her friends with a hand gesture and quickly enters the bathroom. She sure doesn’t want to be involved in her friend’s hookups, especially when Elsa thinks she could ever possibly have anything with Mulan that’s more than basic friendship. 

Inside their enormous bathroom, Emma takes a look at herself in the mirror and releases a deep, steadying breath. She has to get her shit together. She got in too deep in something she shouldn’t have. It was just sex, a fling, mutual attraction like Mulan had said. There were feelings of comfort and safeness, but that can be found in someone else too. Gina didn’t want anything to do with Emma outside of the island; now that is clear. She wanted to keep whatever they were having here exclusively on the island. Like she said on her note: _‘the summer dream is over’_. And it is. They will never see each other again and Emma has to deal with it.

And to deal with it, of course, she will drink her ass off on her last day on the island and do as much as she can to forget the moments she spent with Gina. _It was just a fling,_ she repeats in her mind. Emma might as well try to forget every memory and create new ones that will top whatever she’s lived with that woman. She is gone now, anyway. Emma might as well move the hell on with her life.

* * *

♬

_I cannot go to the ocean_

_I cannot drive the streets at night_

_I cannot wake up in the morning_

_Without you on my mind_

— A Fine Frenzy

_Gina runs the wooden path towards her water villa with Emma after her, both laughing aloud. She can feel the alcohol in her veins, drowning her into playfulness and arousal. Emma reaches Gina and embraces her from behind, placing kisses to her neck that make the brunette moan indecently loud, pulling Emma closer and closer, grinding her ass against Emma’s pelvis that makes the blonde go crazy with want._

_“Fuck, we need to get inside,” Emma mutters, pulling away from Gina to pull her towards her water villa._

_Gina turns in her arms, wrapping them around Emma’s neck. “Yes, I need you to fuck me,” she mutters against Emma’s mouth, a sinful smile appearing on her lips. “And I want you again and again. I want us to be together.”_

A noise awakens her harshly, causing her to leap in bed, breathing hard. As soon as she does that, she feels the constant pounding in her head, the taste of alcohol in her mouth and how her body is completely _dehydrated_. Emma did live up to her own orders and drank heavy amounts of alcohol last night. She had lots and lots of fun with her friends, completely forgot about Gina, but now she is left with the worst: a hangover and dreams of the woman. _What the fuck?_

Her throat feels like sandpaper. It hurts to move. This hangover feels like a balloon under her cranium, slowly being inflated, pressure mounting. _Ugh._ She didn’t have to drink _that_ much, did she?

When she finally opens her eyes, she realizes she is laying in a single bed at the feet of the king-sized bed where Elsa and Mulan are sleeping curled up with each other. The sight makes her heart clench, wanting exactly that to herself: to have Gina sleeping in her arms again, having grown used to the feeling after just two nights with the woman. _Ugh._ Emma is _pathetic_. 

She tries to stand on her wobbly legs and slowly walks into the bathroom. She splashes cold water on her face just to feel something refreshing and instantly wishes she could wash her brain free of the toxins too. After that, she heads straight to the outside shower, letting the water wash her whole body from the stickiness of alcohol and memories that she wants to forget.

An hour later, after checking out of the resort, they are led to the arrival pier by their thakurus, which is sadly also the departure pier. As the seaplane rides on those turquoise waters and flies to the sky, Emma looks down at the island feeling like a part of her stays there, all the moments lived and how her heart soared to stay fully there. But now she needs to go back to her real-life; needs to say goodbye to the Maldives and forget a certain woman forever because she is obviously never going to see her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Gina is no piece of cake, huh? Why did she leave a note like that? Why didn't she want to get to know Emma like normal people usually do? Why did she travel alone?


	6. She Is Ineffable

♬

_Every time I think of you_

_I always catch my breath_

_And I’m still standing here_

_And you’re miles away_

_And I’m wondering why you left_

— John Waite

**One month later**

Life in New York City is always loud. There is noise everywhere: the traffic, beeping horns, the subway trains, sirens — which Emma is very used to hearing on an everyday basis since she’s a detective. Another important fact about New York is that it's a hard-working city. Many people put in very long hours, whether to make those large corporate and law firm salaries or working three jobs just to get by. It makes the city incredibly busy and focused. Emma loves all of that. She loves to be a part of the chaotic people on the streets and loves even more when she’s running to catch a criminal with her partner, Mulan. Overall, Emma loves her job very much. 

Since arriving back in the city after her vacation in the Maldives, Emma has been focusing a lot on her duties as a detective, putting her mind to work exceptionally hard on cases to succeed faster. The vacation had been an opportunity to free her mind from work, but she came back with an even worse thing stuck in her head: someone she can’t forget.

It’s been a month already, but Emma cannot forget Gina to save her goddamn _life_. The brunette is constantly popping in her mind, whether she’s at work, at the gym, at a cafe with her friends, or alone in her apartment. It’s _very_ fucked up and so incredibly pathetic. She hates that her mind is stuck on something so unattainable.

Her friends never asked about Gina again, which she is grateful for because she doesn’t want to confess that she still thinks about her. All of the girls already know that Gina had left her that stupid note (which Emma kept hidden in her underwear drawer, by the way) and were very supportive when Emma told them about it on the island. Everyone claimed right then that it was just a fling and that these things usually happen while on vacation: people meet and then move on with their lives. They even encouraged Emma to start looking for someone to date when they got back to New York, but Emma had denied it back then, not wanting to think about anyone romantically and getting stupidly screwed all over again. Now, knowing that she _still_ can’t take Gina off of her mind, how can she explain to them that she misses a woman she spent just a few days with in paradise? She can’t do that, especially because she doesn’t understand herself. It’s weird — all of these feelings are very confusing for her mind. 

So, in means of trying to forget Gina, Emma has been focusing on her work full-time. She even brings some cases home to study because sometimes she can’t sleep since _someone_ keeps popping in her mind. Memories become vivid the minute she closes her eyes and succumbs to sleep. It’s insane and so _annoying,_ but sometimes Emma lets herself go and lives inside the dream because, in them, she’s with Gina and they’re having many other adventures on the island. Sometimes they’re in New York too, walking side by side on the chaotic streets, hand-in-hand without a care in the world.

Emma realizes she has gone too long without someone to properly enjoy soft touches and cuddly mornings. She knows she misses it now. Besides, she has been observing Ruby and Belle together, how good they are with each other and how much that reminds her of her relationship with Lily and how fun it was to have someone to sleep next to. Elsa and Mulan are not on this stage yet, she _thinks_ because Mulan doesn’t tell her much even if Emma _begs_ her for more details. They’re having sex, that Emma knows of, but it seems like they’ve settled into a relationship of friends with benefits. Emma knows she could easily find someone to hook up with any time she wants, but it’d be just meaningless because these nights almost never turn into ‘ _two’_ nights. They’re always empty and it never feels the way like it did when she was with Gina.

But the woman vanished from her life; didn’t leave a trace of information about herself behind. It was just a small period of a so-called _‘summer dream’_ that reached its expiration date. The only problem is that it’s been incredibly hard for Emma’s body and mind to understand that fact. Emma knows that she can’t continue pining for a woman who didn’t want anything else to do with her. She can’t be this _ridiculous._ She obviously has to try harder to forget Gina, but unfortunately, that doesn’t happen. Instead, her mind mistreats her and gives her more dreams of Gina. 

These dreams take her back to the island in the soft light of the sun and the breeze of the ocean. Her eyes drift closed to feel the warmth of the sun on her skin, then Gina appears and sits on her lap with a huge grin on her face that could light up the whole world. She kisses Emma hard on the lips, embracing the blonde tightly against her body and they roll on top of each other, sand covering their bodies in instants. 

Or sometimes these dreams take Emma right here, in her bed in New York City, where Gina sleeps beside her late at night, arriving after a long day of work with whatever it is she does. Sometimes, the blonde can’t help herself turning around to kiss the brunette, her hands wandering around Gina’s body and touching the spots she knows it makes her whimper, and then fucks her hard, right there on her bed, crazy with passion for every little sound it comes out of the other woman’s lips. When this happens, Emma usually wakes up in the middle of the night with a lady boner and quickly has to take care of her needs or jump in a cold shower. It’s honestly even worse when Gina is pleasuring Emma in her dreams and the blonde wakes up all sweaty in bed, dying for an orgasm from a woman she desperately wants to see again, but constantly denies that fact in her head. She can’t be this _whipped_ and _obsessed_ with the woman. Emma is a grown-ass adult — she can’t be feeling this much about something that should be considered exclusively a _fling_ between two women.

With that line of thought, Emma spends the next month berating herself whenever the brunette appears in her mind. She actually gave it a go and downloaded Tinder, scheduling a blind date with a woman over the weekend; a woman she could talk to about her life and get to know her before diving into the bedsheets. The date was actually nice, but there was no adrenaline in Emma’s veins before meeting the woman; no pounding heart in her chest, no butterflies in her stomach. The woman was beautiful and, surprisingly, just like her photos on the app, but there weren’t any sparkles while they were talking to each other. It wasn’t exciting like it had been the first time she met Gina. It honestly felt like Emma was talking to a friend and nothing would come out of that. They actually kissed at the end of the date, exchanged numbers as well, but Emma was not excited at all to see the woman again. She felt dull, uninterested and bored. And with that realization, Emma decides to stop forcing herself to go out on dates. She instead dives into work, even more, choosing not to use her days off to relax and instead to work her ass even harder. She _refuses_ to continue this pathetic pining over a woman who barely wanted to share her life with her.

* * *

♬

_In your world_

_I have no meaning_

_Though I’m trying hard to understand_

_And it’s my heart that’s breakin’_

— John Waite

Emma tried. She really did, but apparently her heart is stupid enough to have become a mess for a _stranger._ It sucks, and it’s bordering nearly _unbearable_ because Emma can’t control her feelings or her actions when she automatically unlocks her phone to stare at the photos she took of Gina’s back while they were biking around the island. She does that constantly — stares at the photos and wishes longingly that the angle would show Gina’s face too.

It took Emma a while to acknowledge her feelings and admit to herself the truth. She needed some closure from all those incredible moments lived on the island and finally admitted to herself: it was not just a fucking _fling_. Emma fell in love with Gina and that’s why she can’t fucking _forget_ her. The admission pains her, but it feels good to be acknowledged. Despite everything, it’s very strange — frightening even — how someone can go from being a complete stranger to then being completely infatuated by them. It was just a few days together, and yet, here she is — a complete mess who can’t forget the woman she met on vacation.

Her friends have been asking about how her dating life’s been going, but Emma always diverges from the topic. She won’t tell them the truth. Emma still thinks it’s pathetic of her to be feeling this way. It took her so long to recover from her heartbreak with Lily, and now her heart decides to fall for someone unattainable who didn’t want her for more than a few nights of passion. The sentiment hurts and she knows it’ll take a while for her to recover. Sometimes she wants to shout out from the rooftop that she is in love, wants her friends to know and let them comfort her because she knows they will, but she changes her mind, knowing that it will only hurt her more if she confesses. Emma doesn’t want her friends pitying her. They were her rock when Lily broke up with her and advised her to be careful and not jump too fast into a relationship next time. Emma didn’t jump into a relationship with Gina, but she sure as hell wanted to when she realized there was something more than sex between them. But how can she prevent herself from falling in love? She can’t control that; no one can, unfortunately.

With determination this time, Emma decides to keep trying to forget the woman. She got herself into a black hole but still has some hope that she can exit it eventually. How weak would she be if she didn’t at least try? Emma will find someone else and forget Gina. She knows she will.

She has been burying herself in work for quite a while now, but her friends noticed that she wasn’t taking a break and decided to _push_ her onto a break whether she claimed she didn’t need it or not. That’s why they scheduled to meet each other at Ruby and Belle’s house for a girl's night this Friday at 8 p.m.

Emma has the whole day off, so she uses her free time to go jogging at Central Park, stopping at her favourite restaurant to have lunch by herself, and sleeps the rest of the afternoon, even if she knows her dreams would be stolen by that blinding smile and gorgeous body sometime during her nap.

She wakes up at 5 p.m. and decides to pay a quick visit to the gym since today she just jogged for 40 minutes. Emma is very energetic, hence the mandatory exercises of her body, and she loves going to the gym and having her own time doing amazing workouts.

Before leaving her apartment, she eats a banana and a granola bar and then finally heads out. Once in the gym, Emma does a few stretches and then chooses her favourite treadmill to run. She loves running because her legs become very lean when she’s doing it constantly. Emma puts her headphones on and chooses _Perfect Strangers_ by Jonas Blue, a song which she has been listening to the past few days. It reminds her of Gina, and she listens to it on purpose, anyway. Maybe she’s a masochist and likes to make herself suffer? Maybe _. Whatever._

With her mind settled on the beat playing in her ear and on working on the movement of her legs, Emma becomes oblivious to the world around her. There aren’t many people at the gym tonight because it’s obviously Friday and only a few people are courageous enough to come to the gym on Fridays — Emma being one of them. The televisions are all turned on in front of the treadmills so, once in a while, Emma raises her head to stare at whatever commercial is passing. She likes watching them, anyway. It makes her laugh sometimes when she realizes how far people can go to create stupid commercials on television and make the audience buy whatever is displaying.

Emma keeps her head up as a trailer catches her attention: it starts off with some smoke flying around the streets, then, it morphs into images that look like memories from someone’s past. What Emma isn’t expecting is to see someone familiar. Her heart skips a beat in her chest and her eyes bulge, suddenly unable to peel her eyes from the TV. Her hands immediately grasp the arms of the treadmill as her feet automatically jump to rest on the border of each side, stopping her body altogether to breathe properly as it’s obvious she has lost her breath because of what she is watching. _Gina is on TV._ _What the hell?_

The woman appears picking an apple from a tree, at a funeral, and then, she is dressed as some sort of queen, one that reminds Emma of the bedtime stories from when she was a little kid. The trailer is very dramatic, very sad and with a lot of history and action to tell — and Gina seems to be the main character in everything.

For a moment, Emma is convinced she’s suffering from a heart attack from the intensity of her pounding heart. Her legs are trembling, her mouth's as dry as the desert and she longs to reach for her water bottle, but she feels petrified; eyes solemnly focused on the TV while she watches her ‘ex-lover’ laugh and cry on the screens. What the _fuck_ is going on?

The trailer ends with Gina dressed as a queen with a fake heart in her hands as she says, _‘the queen is back!’._ The name _Once Upon An Evil Queen_ appears right after, then _Returns March 25_ and the Netflix logo. The screen moves on to something else, but Emma continues to stare at it, open-mouthed, not knowing what to say or do.

“Hey, are you okay?” A worried voice of a man pulls her away from her stupefaction.

She attempts to swallow her dry throat and answers the employee of the gym, “Y-yeah, I’m… I’m fine.”

He smiles, slowly reaching out to touch her arm, and Emma flinches away subtly, finally turning her treadmill off.

“You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine,” she responds more convincingly this time and motions to step away from the treadmill. “Thanks.”

Emma walks quickly to the bathroom, relief flooding her upon realizing it’s empty. Her hands find leverage on the marbled sink and she lets her head pend downwards as she tries to regain her breathing. She’s still shaking, her heart is continuously pounding in her chest in a way she can hear loudly in her ears, and there are even some butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Emma knows why they’re appearing. She has just seen the woman she is in love with on TV. When would she have expected something like that to happen? _Fucking never._

So, Gina is an actress, apparently. And Emma discovered this in the most unpredictable way possible.

Remembering the name of the series she saw on the trailer, Emma quickly gets her phone from her short’s pocket and unlocks it. Her fingers drag straight to google and type _Once Upon An Evil Queen + cast._ The first photo that appears is of Gina. Well, her name is not only Gina — it’s Regina Mills. The next thing Emma does is click on the name _Regina Mills_ that leads her to a page on Wikipedia.

_Regina Maria Mills (born February 1, 1977) is an American actress. Mills is known for her roles on television and radio. She was a regular cast member in the fifth season of the ABC sitcom Spin City from 2000 to 2001. She later starred in Boomtown (2002-2003), Windfall (2006), Swingtown (2008) and as Dr. Eva Zambrano in the short-lived medical drama Miami Medical (2010). Since 2014, Mills has starred as The Evil Queen in the Netflix fantasy drama series, Once Upon an Evil Queen._

Emma drags her eyes away, trying to take a breather from all this new surprising information. _Holy fucking shit._ She breathes in and out, trying to keep her mind focused on herself and to not replay the images she saw in that trailer. Gina looked so different, her expressions a mix of sad, angry, and hopeful in the many different versions she portrayed in such short minutes. She is _indeed_ an actress because she sure as hell looked good in everything she did there.

With a sigh, Emma unlocks her phone again and opens the image section of google and saves the first photo she finds: Regina dressed all in black, probably her costume for the queen on the show. With hands trembling, Emma opens iMessage and the group chat she has with her BFF's and starts typing:

She has no idea if her friends are going to recognize Gina, especially when she is dressed so differently, but Emma’s heart pounds all the same and she longs for their response. Luckily, it doesn’t take long:

The second time Emma saw Gina on the island, Belle had mentioned she knew the brunette from somewhere but couldn’t remember exactly. Now everything makes sense because the woman is a _famous actress,_ therefore, Belle probably saw her in a movie or something. Small world, isn’t it?

Her friends are just as surprised as herself, it seems, so the texts don’t stop coming:

That’s a very good question.

Emma has no idea what to name the mix of emotions she is feeling right now. Her head is a mess, and so is her heart. She feels surprised, jealous, a bit angry and is definitely gay panicking right now. Like Mulan asked: _‘you fucked a famous actress?’,_ well, it seems like she did. But Emma can’t deal with all these questions now. She has to unwind for a bit and get her head settled. She will see her friends later at Ruby’s house and then she will worry about answering them.

Emma decides to finish her workout, despite everything. She knows that exercising her body will help her through her thoughts. Releasing a deep, long breath, Emma puts her headphones on again, turns up the music and leaves the bathroom to start using the workout machines. She chooses heavier weights today just for the sake of the situation, wanting to feel super sore later and maybe the way her body will be hurting, will overpass the hurt in her heart.

An hour and ten minutes later, Emma is jogging her way back home, feeling her body heavy as well as her mind. She was able to focus solemnly on her workout for some minutes, but then it would all come back and crash into her. However, Emma remained strong enough not to look up anything more about Gina on the internet. She needs to tell her friends first how she feels, and maybe they’ll tell her what to do or how to cope.

Once at home, she heads straight to the bathroom and takes a long time in the bathtub, soaking down her sore muscles and full mind. Her phone has been beeping for a while, but Emma refuses to go look at it. It’s probably her friends having found more stuff about Gina. They are super curious about it, she’s sure of that.

By the time she dresses up, it’s already 8 p.m., so Emma calls an Uber and heads towards Ruby and Belle’s house. She’s super nervous about what she will tell them, about whatever they will talk when they see each other and how the whirlwind of Gina and everything she discovered will come crashing down on her back very soon.

Unable to control herself any longer, Emma unlocks her phone directly on the group chat with her friends to finally see what they’ve been up to:

Emma groans at the sight of the texts and gives bonus points to Belle for being so empathic. Then, she takes a deep, long breath before scrolling down to see the profiles they had found:

Her eyes narrow at what she is seeing, then bulge out of proportion upon realizing what photos are posted on Regina’s profile: the photos she took of her on the island. Her hands start shaking slightly and she brings the phone closer to her face to examine the photos better. _Fuck._ Emma didn’t know what she would see on Regina’s profile, but certainly, this wasn’t it. Emma longs to open the Instagram app and look for _@reginamills_ herself and see what the description of those photos are, however, she forbids herself from it. Instead, she scrolls down to see what else her friends found:

The first thing that catches her attention is the photo posted on January 4 — a photo in which Emma recognizes their bikes from the day they explored the island together, with the arrival pier in the background. The image sends a jolt of heartbreak and longing straight to her chest, and she swallows the lump in her throat at the view.

The next thing that catches her attention is the location on her profile: Brooklyn, NYC and LA? Is Regina from New York? Her heart pounds harder inside her chest, her stomach turns in knots. Oh God, what if… what if she’s here? What if Emma can bump into her on the busy streets of New York? That could certainly be possible, but Regina also has ‘LA’ in her location, so that means she also could live very far away from NYC, where most of the celebrities live.

Emma locks her phone on a whim, wanting to stop seeing all of this, wanting it all to just leave her head for once and for all. However, she knows that won’t be possible. She is fucking _in love_ with an actress — said actress who she spent the most amazing four days of her life, having the best sex she has ever experienced. She won’t be able to forget it, especially now that she has so much information on her hands.

“We’re here,” the Uber driver says, pulling her from her thoughts.

She thanks him before getting out of the vehicle. Emma is still shaking a bit when she presses the doorbell to Ruby’s house, so she tells herself to calm the fuck down. She needs to act cool and not like a lovesick teenager with her heart crushed. Emma will tell them how she feels, but she doesn’t need to look so _desperate_ while doing it.

“Oh, my God! Emma! We have so much to talk about!” Ruby exclaims as soon as the door opens, pulling the blonde into a tight hug.

Emma sighs in Ruby’s hair, hugging her back, but grumbles, “Calm down, Ruby.”

“Hey, Emma! How are you?” Belle appears behind her wife-to-be, asking Emma with a look of pity on her face that nearly crushes the blonde inside.

She grimaces as everything she discovered today makes itself present in her head again. “I’m still a bit in shock,” she confesses shyly, scratching her head disconcertingly. “So, you saw her before, right?”

“Yeah,” Belle answers quietly. “I still don’t remember the name of the movie, but I did see her on TV once.”

“That show you told us about, _Once Upon an Evil Queen_ , is on Netflix, Emma!” Ruby exclaims excitedly. “We should binge-watch it tonight!”

Emma starts shaking her head as Belle pats Ruby's shoulder, calling her attention. “Maybe that’s not a good idea, babe,” the blue-eyed brunette says.

“Why not?” Ruby asks in instants, not seeming to understand, but Belle apparently has some ideas of what Emma might be feeling, which surprises her.

The doorbell rings and the tension and uncertainty that was forming between them dissipates. Ruby opens the door to find Elsa and Mulan with matching grins on their faces. Elsa jumps towards Emma, shoving her phone with Regina’s Instagram page at her face while Mulan just laughs at her actions. It seems like neither of her friends understood yet that Emma might be feeling a bit down with all this discovery. Well, except for Belle, which is so unlikely.

“Elsa, _no_ , I don’t wanna see it,” Emma grumbles, shoving her friend’s glowing phone away from her face.

“What’s up, Swan? You didn’t like her profile?” Elsa quips with an arched eyebrow.

Emma scoffs, turning away to head to the backyard. “I need alcohol.”

Mulan quickly approaches, her smile gone from her face. “Emms, are you okay?”

Emma continues walking towards the backyard (where their usual hangouts are placed) and grabs a beer from the freezer as if she lives there. All of them are equally welcome to do anything they want at Ruby and Belle’s house; it’s their common ground.

When she turns around, her friends are looking quizzically at her; some even with their arms crossed over their chests, waiting.

“Emma, what’s going on?” Ruby is the first to ask, and Emma just sighs in response, throwing herself on the couch in front of the fire pitch that it’s already lit and gulps down a bit of her beer.

“I have something to tell you guys,” she starts, finally courageous enough to look into their eyes.

“What is all this suspense now, Emma? I thought you were ecstatic to have found your lover’s real name,” Elsa mentions, and Emma quickly shakes her head ‘no’.

“Emma, what are you feeling?” Mulan is the one to ask this time, quickly moving to sit beside the blonde on the couch while the others remain standing, fiercely staring at her.

“I’m sorry, Mulan, but I lied when I told you at the island that it had been just a fling between Gina and me.” Mulan frowns and then her features relax as if she’s coming to a realization.

“So, it was more-”

“Yes, _yes,”_ Emma interjects. “It was _so_ much more. Well, at least to me,” she explains, making gestures with her hands as if they would express everything her heart is currently feeling. “But she left, and I lied to you because, back then, I thought I could put in my head that it had been nothing when it had felt like _everything,_ ” she confesses, letting out a strangled breath.

“Em, are you _in love_ with the actress?” Ruby asks, her mouth hanging open as she takes everything in.

Emma slowly nods, suddenly feeling lighter in her chest for spelling this all out to her best friends. “Yep,” she sighs, looking at her lap. “And I’m in _deep.”_

“Oh, my God, you didn’t even tell us!” Elsa complains, moodily stomping her right feet on the ground. “And here I was throwing her Instagram page on your face because I thought you found it funny too.” The blonde groans, starting to pace the room angrily.

“It’s okay, Elsa,” Emma amends. “I decided not to tell you guys because, at first, I thought it was extremely pathetic of me to have fallen for someone so unattainable, even if I didn’t know that she was an actress yet. She left me that note, after all, so it meant that she didn’t want anything else to do with me from the start. It was just a few nights of passion. _I_ was the one who read too much into it and got screwed up in the end,” she explains self-deprecatingly.

Mulan groans beside her this time. “Don’t berate yourself like that, Emma. I know it’s hard because you’re…” Her friend glances at Elsa for merely seconds then turns her eyes back on Emma to continue, “…you’re in love with her. But, you know, people fall out of love with each other all the time, so no worries.” Mulan pats her back, smiling at her best friend.

Emma sighs, watching as Ruby and Belle squeeze on the couch to sit beside her. Elsa remains on her feet, switching her eyes between Emma and Mulan.

“Oh, and this Regina is an _actress_ , Emms,” Ruby starts with a mocking tone. “Think of her as someone who probably is very futile and doesn’t want to date people that aren’t from the Hollywood industry. She _lied_ to you on the island and she doesn’t deserve your attention.”

Emma slowly nods, trying to access her head to think of Gina this way. Somehow, she can’t imagine the enchanting brunette being someone so futile and hollow like Ruby is doing. They didn’t live those four days with Gina as she did. Even though she doesn’t know Gina that well, Emma could read too much in her eyes; could see her acting so beguiling through that trailer, yet at the same time, so authentically. Emma knows Regina lied, omitted, or whatever… but her heart still soars for her, for the woman she met on the island, and not some made-up version Ruby just tried to implant in her head. However, Emma knows her friend is just trying to help her deal with her unrequited love.

“But on the bright and fun side,” Elsa starts with amusement in her voice. “You fucked an _actress_ , Swan. How cool is that?”

That, surprisingly, makes Emma laugh. Whether she fell in love or not, she indeed had sex with an actress and not many people have that opportunity in life, anyway.

“Yeah, that is cool,” Emma admits with a small smile, bringing her beer to her lips again to take a long-awaited sip.

“Yeah, you did, Swan!” Mulan chants, bumping their shoulders playfully.

“Fuck, yeah!” Ruby also chants, patting Emma’s thigh. “You will forget about her, Emms. And you will find someone worth your time,” she says, winking at Emma who just chuckles at her.

Hopefully, she will find someone in her life soon. God knows how much she wants it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, what???? Gina aka Regina Mills is a famous actress? And what a coincidence of Emma to see that trailer, huh? Speaking of trailer, please click [here](https://youtu.be/x4PsIDXUUkI) if you want to watch it.
> 
> Now, does this feel like a plot twist or are you guys not surprised at all? Please tell me what you think! I wanna know if you expected this or not :D


	7. She Is Sublime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don’t know: Lana has been to the Maldives twice and her photos were a big inspiration for this story ;)

♬

_You got me sippin' on something_

_I can't compare to nothing I've ever known_

_I'm hoping that after this fever I'll survive_

— Selena Gomez

The girls don’t mention Gina after they talk which means Emma can free her mind from that woman and everything she discovered today for a few hours. The alcohol also helps a lot, but her friends are the ones to truly thank for: they drink, dance, jump like crazy teenage girls, and dance some more. To say the least, Emma is very distracted by them and laughs the night away. She was in _need_ of a night like this and is grateful that they demanded her to come over.

Besides it all, they needed to celebrate, anyway. Ruby and Belle’s wedding is just two months away. Soon they will be walking down the aisle and becoming wives. That notion is enough to keep Emma happy for the rest of the night.

When it becomes late at night, sleep reaches her and, by now, she knows she needs to hit the pillow because her mind is very fuzzy from the amount of alcohol she ingested. Luckily, neither she nor Elsa and Mulan will need to go back home drunk. They always crash at the guest’s bedrooms, anyway. 

Emma checks her watch, realizing it’s 2:30 a.m. and suddenly gets a move on, waving goodbye to the other girls who are cuddling each other on the couch — including Elsa and Mulan. It seems like they don’t care much about PDA when they’re drunk.

Emma heads up the stairs to the guest room and, as soon as she arrives there, she throws herself on the fluffy bed, moaning at the way the soft sheets are colliding with her exhausted body. She closes her eyes, willing sleep to come, but instead is rewarded with memories of Gina on the island. This time, she groans in displeasure, moving her hand to cover her face in a way that will send those memories away.

It doesn’t — obviously not.

Suddenly, the need to grab her phone and search for _@reginamills_ on Instagram becomes stronger than her will to prevent herself. Emma pulls her phone from her back pockets and unlocks it quickly, releasing a sigh at her own failure. She opens the Instagram app and types in _@_ _reginamills_. Now that she’s alone and the app is already open, she won’t postpone this any longer. Emma will take a look at it once and for all, then she might even block the actress to prevent herself from looking her up again. This torturing will need to stop at some point.

Emma comes face to face with Regina’s Instagram profile and starts analyzing everything from an overall vision. Then, her fingers move to click on the photo she took of Gina and the brunette had the audacity to upload it to social media:

That’s the photo Emma took of Gina on a whim after the brunette had just gotten inside the jacuzzi and invited the blonde to go in with her. The light had looked amazing and the camera was just so close that Emma didn’t resist and took a bunch of photos of Regina. Well, it seemed like the brunette had liked them as much as Emma and, glancing at the date it was posted, was very eager to upload it to her social media. The caption, though, hurts Emma on a whole new level. _My favourite getaway._ Must have been good to have delicious sex, and then leave and pretend nothing had happened, and that the person who took that picture didn’t even exist. _Awesome!_ Just _… great._

Emma rolls her eyes at her own sarcastic assumptions, moving around on the bed with a long sigh. However, she doesn’t stop there. She moves on to Regina’s last post of the island on her profile and the other photo Emma took of her:

That photo had indeed looked perfect; Regina was perfect in every aspect and she seemed to love to be photographed by Emma with her professional camera. It’s obvious now why she liked so much to be photographed — she’s an actress, therefore, is accustomed and very familiar with cameras. Regina probably just used Emma those moments to snap photos of her since she uploaded them later to her page. Somehow, she had to keep the internet flowing with photos of her private vacation, but she surely couldn’t fill Emma in with details of her private life. Well, she just didn’t _want_ to. That’s the truth and that’s what hurts most.

Emma had fallen in love with a woman who barely even cared about her and just used her for sex and some outstanding photos on a paradisiac island. So _pathetic._ Emma groans into the pillow, feeling her drunken brain weak and messy, especially when tears form in her eyes and she desperately wants to let them down and send her anger away. It hurts, but it shouldn’t. This feeling is so fucking _annoying_. If only Emma could forget ever meeting Regina Mills…

However, instead of accomplishing her previous mission of forgetting Regina Mills, Emma becomes even more obsessed when she comes across the show she’s on Netflix. So, it’s not a surprise when Emma spends the next week binge-watching _Once Upon An Evil Queen._ She doesn’t tell her friends, though. She instead pretends she never discovered about Gina being an actress while around them. When she’s alone, however, she digs her own hole of pain by watching Gina on TV. Some nights Emma tries to control herself not to open the Netflix app, but the need to see that beautiful brunette portraying so many characters on TV is beyond her control. Besides, the show is really good; so good Regina _and_ the TV show deserve an Emmy. 

In spite of having fun while watching the show, Emma discovers in a bad way that images can play a dangerous role in your dreams. Her brain’s devotion to bringing Gina to star in her dreams had been on a break — that is until Emma almost drooled while watching a scene of the Evil Queen and what she was wearing: a long dress so tight it hugs her curves perfectly, her cleavage full-on display that left Emma’s mouth-watering, and her hair long and wavy, draping over her back in waves. Those beautiful crimson lips looked so full that Emma yearned to jump into the television and go after the woman. What she saw in that scene certainly evoked her most erotic dream ever:

_Emma looks around the dark room around her, finding no one in sight. She recognizes this room, but right now can’t recall exactly from where. She is lying in a huge queen-sized bed, covered with silky red sheets, and her body is fully naked under the duvet. The sheets feel amazing against her nude body and she relishes on the feeling. Soon, she hears the clicking of high heels on concrete, causing her to lean on her elbows to face towards where the sound is coming from._

_The sight that greets her is to die for: Regina Mills, dressed as the Evil Queen, just like on the TV show Emma has grown addicted to. But what she’s wearing right now is much more enhanced than what’s displayed on a television. Emma is almost sure that she’s drooling, her hungry eyes roaming around Regina's perfect body encased in a long red, velvety dress with a V-neck that pushed up her breasts and could send any lesbian towards a crisis of gay panic. Her hair is curly and cascading down her back beautifully and Emma longs to slip her hand in there and pull the woman to her._

_What the blonde isn’t expecting is for Regina to walk hastily towards her, an angry and possessive scowl on her face. Oh, fuck. What did she do?_

_“You’re mine,” Regina growls, pushing Emma hard on the chest, causing her body to fall against the bed. “Only mine, you hear me?” The Evil Queen commands, her hand still pressed on the blonde's chest and her upper lip curling in anger. However, her eyes are incredibly dark, luxurious and full of what Emma recalls as raw desire._

_Emma helplessly nods at Regina’s rhetorical question, trying to find her voice back to answer the intimidating woman, but finds her mouth dry at the sight of Regina so close to her and, no wonder, dressed like_ that.

_“I… I want you so bad, Regina,” Emma mutters breathlessly, eyes solemnly focused on dark brown orbs._

_“Don’t call me Regina. It’s ‘Your Majesty!’” The evil queen exclaims with anger, moving to straddle Emma’s lap._

_Emma can only nod, grinning like a fool at the gorgeous brunette and feel the expectation of whatever she will do to her. “Yeah, whatever you prefer, Your Majesty. My Queen — please make me yours.”_

_“Gladly, dear,” Regina mutters, a devilish smile forming on her full lips. The hand that is pressed tightly against Emma’s bare chest becomes softer on her skin, and caresses down slowly, pulling the red silky sheet away._

_Emma’s whole naked body slowly comes into view and she observes as Regina’s pupils dilate at the sight. The blonde can’t say anything; her voice is stuck in her throat as she pants with arousal for what it’s to come._

_Regina leans her whole upper body above Emma until her mouth is mere inches away from the blonde’s ear. “I want you to beg for my touch, Miss Swan,” she purrs huskily. “I want to see you trembling and combusting under me. I want you to come undone.”_

_Emma groans at the dirty words, her hands reaching out to touch the other woman’s waist and bring her closer, but the latter grips Emma’s hands above her head in a domineering way that leaves her even more aroused. She just wants Regina to touch her._

_To her surprise, Emma is no longer neglected of an intimate touch — Regina slides her right hand through Emma’s body, caressing her stiff nipples on the way down until it reaches her soaked sex. The brunette releases a needy moan when her index finger penetrates Emma and starts moving in and out in a delicious way. Emma is panting hard, grasping the red sheets before her with force to control herself and not touch Regina because she doesn’t want her to stop._

_Regina uses her thumbs to spread Emma a little wider, rubbing her lower lips in a kind of massage that has Emma’s hips arching up for more. With that, Regina blows lightly on Emma’s pussy, a tickling sensation that might just drive the blonde insane, until it’s replaced with a gentle flicker of Regina’s soft tongue. It’s just the tip, barely contact at all, but Emma feels her synapses begin to fire in anticipation for more and more… she needs an orgasm from this woman so badly… she can’t take it anymore-_

Her eyes open in a halt and she’s panting so hard she almost can’t catch her breath. The room around her is nothing like the fancy room in her dreams; it’s just her ordinary bedroom in her apartment in New York. 

It wasn’t unusual for Emma to wake up a little bit aroused when dreaming about Gina. But that dream with her dressed as the Evil Queen was a game-changer for Emma. She never woke up so sweaty, so soaked between her legs, so needy for an orgasm and incredibly frustrated that nothing of it had been real. For God’s sake, her dream mind is doing awful things to her body. She can’t _forget_ Regina and can’t certainly forget how good she is in bed. Ugh. That’s the _worst_ part, for sure.

Emma tosses around in bed, punching the sheets and pillows to try to wear off her frustration. She will have to take care of her situation, either way and while thinking about Gina, obviously. Emma can’t get over the fact that the woman she is in love with is so fucking hot and so damn good in bed. Honestly, no one could ever compare and that’s what is the worst. Emma wishes she could just find someone else, have mind-blowing sex and fall in love with a person that could probably be attainable, but she knows the heart doesn’t work this way; it wants what it wants. And right now, it wants Regina Mills, whether Emma likes it or not.

* * *

♬

_The bed's getting cold and you're not here_

_The future that we hold is so unclear_

_But I'm not alive until you call_

_And I'll bet the odds against it all_

— Selena Gomez

It’s a slow day at the station and, even knowing that she can stay awhile longer working on her cases, Emma is aware that her mind won’t let her stay fully focused on her tasks — especially after that overbearing sexual dream she had about Regina the night before. The feeling, the view, the delicious sensations that made it look so vivid is still very present in her poor mind. Emma walked through the front door today looking flustered, frustrated and still a bit aroused. Masturbating had been a good alternative, but not a definite or effective one. Honestly, her situation gets more unbearable each day.

Emma would rather be outside chasing criminals than having a quiet day of reading clues and overthinking. But the universe is not collaborating with her life nowadays, so… _whatever._

“Hey, Swan, wanna grab lunch at Westville?” Mulan asks with an excited smile on her face.

“Yep! I’m starving!” Emma says, already standing up from her chair to accompany Mulan out of the precinct.

Despite being cold outside, Emma is thankful to be leaving the office to breathe some fresh air. When they sit at a table and order their food, Mulan props her chin on her hand and stares at Emma with a smile that seems to discover all her secrets.

“What?” Emma curtly asks, already bothered by the intense eye contact.

“How have you been, Emma? We haven’t talked much in the last few weeks. Work has been hectic and today’s calmness is a blessing, for sure.”

Emma huffs, looking away from her friend. “I don’t like it when it’s too slow like this. I need to feel the rush on a day-to-day basis.”

“I know you do. But tell me: how have you been with your ‘Regina thing’?”

The blonde groans at her friend, placing her hand in front of her eyes to block Mulan from looking at her. “I don’t wanna talk about that.”

Mulan gives her a sympathetic smile. “Are you still very much in love with her?”

“What do you think?” Emma retorts sharply, but her friend isn’t affected.

The brunette continues on with her questions:

“Have you looked her up? Have you watched her on TV?”

Emma blushes at this, knowing that, one way or another, she’s giving herself away because Mulan knows her very well. However, she didn’t want to talk about how _weak_ she had been when she caved and binge-watched Regina’s show for a whole week. She didn’t want to talk about how every night she looked up her favourite photos of Regina on her Instagram page and fell asleep with the images in her mind. How Emma longed to wish her a Happy Birthday on February 1, and how her heart hurt longingly upon seeing the gorgeous photo Regina posted of herself that day, thanking her fans for all the birthday wishes and love:

“Emma?”

The blonde releases a loud sigh, feeling defeated. “I did… all of that. I’ve been trying to forget her, I swear, but it’s super hard now that I know so much about her,” Emma confesses. “Now that I can see her on social media or on TV anytime I want, it’s become extremely hard to prevent myself from doing it.”

Mulan grasps Emma’s hand on the table and caresses her knuckles affectionately. Emma relishes on the comfort, feeling her heart get warm by the support.

“It’s okay, Emms. These things happen. Soon you will have her out of your mind for good.”

Emma gives her friend a small smile. “I sure hope so.”

“Don’t worry, girl. Everything will be okay.”

Their food arrives and so Emma’s mood changes for the better. Now that Mulan got a few of her secrets out, Emma will try to get Mulan’s secrets out too.

“So, how’s it been with Elsa, hm?” She teasingly questions, watching as Mulan’s face turns pink the second Emma mentions Elsa.

* * *

♬

_Oh I can't forget you_

_You are always on my mind_

_And every time I see you_

_I lose all track of time_

— Millionyoung

An hour later of Mulan telling Emma about her adventures with Elsa with a never-gone blush on her face, they’re finally back at the precinct. Now that Emma’s stomach is full, she is more likely to pay attention to her cases and won’t _think_ about Regina Mills.

When she’s about to sit on her assigned chair, the Captain comes out of his office looking bright and happy.

“Hey, Swan, Hua!” Captain Nolan calls out, causing Emma and Mulan’s heads to raise at his voice. He is grinning brightly at them, which is usually weird for the workplace, but Emma lets it slide as her curiosity takes over her detective mind and waits silently for him to continue, “There is someone important in my office I want you to meet.” He makes an inviting gesture with his hand and the two detectives sprint into action, walking side by side towards where Captain Nolan is standing.

“What’s up, Cap? Is it a new important drug case?”

“Much, much better than a case. Come see who’s in my office!” He says excitedly, walking in his office with Emma and Mulan in tow. “This is Regina Mills, the actress of _Once Upon An Evil Queen._ She’s here for an interview with an experienced detective for her upcoming…”

Emma isn’t able to concentrate on what the Captain is saying anymore. Her eyes are fixed on the woman before her: Regina _fucking_ Mills. Holy shit. What the fuckity fuck is going on? Is this a hallucination? Is Emma _daydreaming_ now, too?

“This is Mulan Hua and Emma Swan, two of my best detectives at the precinct,” the Captain continues, and Emma hears him, but can’t possibly take her eyes off of Regina, who’s staring back at her with a shocked, open-mouthed expression. “I believe they both match your description of your character, Miss Mills,” Captain Nolan finishes with a quick gesture at his detectives and switches his stare between them and Regina, waiting for someone to say anything. 

However, no one says anything for a long, long time. Emma is lost in those intense brown eyes and Regina seems to be lost in Emma’s too, like she can’t believe she is looking at her right now. The connection between them strengthens and lasts and it is unbearably unjust to discredit honesty of what is happening.

When there is nothing but awkward silence in the room, the captain clears his throat,narrowing his eyes at his detectives, causing Mulan to spring into action: 

“Oh, um… sorry, cap,” Mulan apologizes to her boss with an awkward smile. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Miss Mills,” her friend says, extending her hand to Regina.

The minute Regina takes a step closer to shake Mulan’s hand back, Emma feels the scent of her perfume invading her nostrils, which makes _stupid_ butterflies appear in her stomach. _Ugh_. Emma can’t be feeling this way; she is in front of the Captain, therefore, she can’t act dumbfounded nor like she knows Regina. This is her workplace; she has to be professional at all times, and it doesn’t matter if the love of her life is right in front of her.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Mills,” Emma finally manages to say, her voice sounding a bit abrasive to match the anger and uncertainty she’s feeling, but also hesitant because she still has no clue of what is going on. Her hand slowly extends itself to Regina which also takes a while to reach Emma’s. When the warm flesh connects with hers, Emma feels a jolt of memories coming back to her; memories of what they lived on the island and how they touched one another.

Before the moment can get even more heated and extremely awkward, Emma pulls her hand away harshly, not wanting to feel the touch anymore because it also brings back the hurtful memories that she was left with just a stupid note and the idea that it was nothing but a fling to the other woman. ‘ _The summer dream is over’ —_ Emma fucking hates those words.

“Likewise,” Regina greets back curtly, turning to face the Captain who is looking dubiously at his detectives, but smiles immediately when looking at the actress.

“All right… um, unfortunately, you can’t interview both of my detectives simultaneously today, Miss Mills. But if you come back tomorrow, you might find the time with another one,” Nolan explains as Emma’s heart continues pounding inside her chest. “Who would you like to interview today?”

Emma has no idea if Regina will choose her. She might as well choose Mulan to keep herself as far away from Emma since she decided they _shouldn’t_ see each other outside of the island. Well, it seems like the _universe_ wanted them to meet again somehow, even in the most unpredictable ways possible.

“Uh, Captain, I… I think it’s best if I work on a few of my cases today,” Mulan suddenly says, surprising Emma. “I can give Miss Mills an interview tomorrow, but I’m sure Emma will cover up all her questions and doubts about being a detective,” Mulan proudly states, tapping on Emma’s back reassuringly, basically encouraging the blonde to be alone with Regina.

 _What the fuck!_ Emma will _kill_ Mulan for doing this. Regina should have _chosen._ Emma needed to know who she would choose and-

“That’s fine for me, Captain Nolan,” Regina is quick to respond. “I might be back tomorrow to gather some more information. Thank you for your hospitality,” she thanks him with a smile that looks political; nothing like the smiles Emma received from her on the island.

“You’re very welcome! Let’s go — I’ll take you and Detective Swan to the interview room,” Nolan says, gesturing with his hands for them to follow him.

All the while, Emma watches the scene playing before her, dumbfounded, with her heart about to jump out of her chest at any minute. Emma only comes to her surroundings when Mulan nudges her on the ribs, silently encouraging her to follow the captain and Regina out of the door. Emma starts walking after them, trying to calm down her heart, body and mind, feeling her throat dry and an immediate need of water. _How is this happening?_

Emma watches as Regina and the Captain walk further ahead of her, her boss talking animatedly to the actress. When she feels courageous enough to reach them, she hears Nolan telling Regina how much his 10-year-old boys like the show of the evil queen and how good of an actress she is. Emma stands by that, but would never admit it out loud. Right now, the only thing she has to focus on is herself; she needs to forget everything she’s lived with Regina on the island and pretend nothing has happened… or that they have never met each other. This interview will demand her professionalism and nothing at all will come out of it. Regina didn’t come here to see Emma. It was probably a huge coincidence, or a prank the universe was trying to get back at Emma with.

“Emma, have you ever watched any movie Regina’s been on?” Captain Nolan suddenly asks her and, instantly, she can feel her face turning red from being addressed about such a _delicate_ topic Emma had vehemently been trying to avoid.

“Uh… no. I… I have never seen her… uh, never,” she stammers out her lie, putting her hands in her back jeans pockets and focusing her eyes solemnly on her boss. He obviously narrows his eyes suspiciously at her because he’s the brilliant _captain of the precinct,_ but Emma plays it safe as if she is not lying at all.

“Well, that’s a shame,” Nolan chuckles whole-heartedly, receiving a polite smile from Regina which Emma _does not stare at_. “Here we are, ladies. Luckily the movement is slow around here today, so you two won’t be bothered in there. We won’t be using this room today, anyway.”

“Right,” Emma mutters.

“Good,” Regina says, eyes glancing at Emma’s for an instant.

“All right, here’s the interview room.” Nolan opens the door, leading them inside. “Anything you need, Regina, please ask Emma and she will ask me. I hope you find her answers good enough for your character research!”

“Thank you, Captain Nolan,” Regina replies politely.

“Uh, another thing,” she captain starts. “Would you mind signing an autograph for my boys later? I’m sure they would be thrilled to have anything from the Evil Queen,” Nolan pleads, looking very much like the affectionate father he is, which warms Emma’s heart for an instant. But only an instant because Emma will be alone in this room with Regina very soon and her nervous jitters are about to _kill_ her.

“Oh, of course, I will!” Regina responds with a bright grin that causes Emma’s stomach to turn into knots. “No need to ask twice.”

Captain Nolan grins happily at the actress. “Thank you, Miss Mills! I’ll see you after! And you, Emma, be _good_ to her!” He waves goodbye at them before closing the door behind him.

And that’s when Emma’s heart goes from pounding to thundering, and a strange twisting forms deep in her stomach that makes her feel like she might double over and fall on her face in front of this woman right here, right now before they even muttered a ‘hi’ to each other.

When they are front to front, Emma helplessly allows her eyes to wander through Regina's body: she’s wearing a silky-white, three-quarter sleeve top with a low V-neck — that reminds Emma of her dream with the Evil Queen that happened just last night —, a pair of royal blue, high-waisted pants combined with a small white handbag hanging around her arms that fit perfectly to the look. The whole outfit shows out how fancy and rich Regina is; she dresses like she’s shooting a photoshoot on a day-to-day basis. There is light makeup on her face: a nude lipstick along with mascara that makes her look fancy, yet natural, and so, so fucking _good._ Emma could stay with her eyes fixed on her sublimeness forever, to be honest. However, she knows she can’t. This is already too much. Whatever this is, it shouldn’t be happening. Emma shouldn’t be interviewing Regina; shouldn’t be seeing her right now. This must be a mistake. Regina doesn’t want to be here, doesn’t want to _see_ Emma. She made it clear on her note and now they’re here, facing each other after the longest two months of Emma’s life.

God, Emma is still fucking _mad_ at that note; mad at herself for letting a total stranger become such a recurring presence in her mind, and for getting her hopes up so high that to have them crash back down again had felt like the end of her entire world. She can’t let Regina get under her skin at any circumstances. This interview has to be strictly _professional_.

“Emma, I-”

“What are you doing here?” Emma suddenly blurts out, interrupting whatever Regina was going to say, unable to hold herself anymore now that they’re alone. She needs to get a grip on what is happening. She needs to be in control of the situation the universe has thrown her in.

“I… the captain said what I’m doing here. I didn’t know you… you worked here. This is a surprise to me just as much it is to you.”

Emma clears her throat, looking away from those intense eyes that make her feel _so much._ “Cool. Let’s start the interview, then. The sooner we finish it, the better.” She moves to sit on the chair, keeping her eyes away from the other woman. When Regina remains standing even after Emma has sat down, the blonde finally raises her head to face her ex-lover. “Why are you still standing?”

“I… Emma, I never thought I’d see you again,” Regina says in a meek tone, her hands touching each other in a way that reminds Emma of a type of controlling manner.

That phrase pains Emma’s heart in a way she almost can’t hold back her want to cry. Regina said something similar when Emma approached her on the island the day after the bar, and the brunette had been hesitant to talk to Emma at first, but later accepted the champagne and they talked to each other. But all of this right now is just so incredibly unpredictable… how is Regina here, in the precinct Emma works at in Brooklyn when there are so many others? Why did she choose this one?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Emma lies, expressing bitterness in her voice as she stares in those deep brown orbs.

“Emma, what-”

“ _Miss Mills,_ ” Emma interrupts, emphasizing the formal name. “We don’t know each other very well to skip last name basis yet. This is my workplace and I demand to be treated as such by my formal title.”

Hurt sweeps inside those dark, brown orbs and that kills Emma inside, but she maintains her cold expression intact. She’s still hurting and won’t take this woman’s bullshit anymore, even if it pains her. 

“Now, can we please start the interview? I don’t have all day,” Emma says apathetically, watching as the hurt in Regina’s eyes quickly vanishes to then transform into a mask of indifference and hidden anger.

The brunette finally sits down on the chair in front of Emma and responds arrogantly, “Fine. Just do your job, _Detective_.”

“Well, you do your job too, _actress_ ,” Emma says condescendingly. “Ask away your questions.”

Regina scoffs derisively, opening her handbag and pulling out of there a notepad that probably contains the questions she prepared to ask.

“So, Detective _Swan_ ,” the brunette starts off with an airy tone, looking down at her notepad to then glance at Emma. “Why did you choose this profession?”

Emma takes a deep breath before responding, “Well, for starters, I’ve always admired the profession of those who use their lives to protect others: police, military, the navy, fire department — they’re all risking their lives every day for the sake of others. I appreciate it and have wanted to become a professional like that since I was little.” Regina is listening to each word Emma is saying attentively, her indifferent mask slipping during some seconds when she immerses in what the blonde is sharing about herself. Upon noticing that, Emma continues with disdain, “Is that all?”

Regina rolls her eyes at the question, almost releasing another scoff. “Of course _not_ , Detective Swan. An interview is not only based on _one_ simple question,” she remarks.

“All right, go on,” Emma urges.

“Why a detective, then? Was it your first option or your dream job?”

“My dream job,” Emma starts. “I’ve always liked reading mystery books, watching action movies that involved cops or TV shows that showed from a perspective of how life on the field is. The adrenaline displayed on it is something I wanted to feel, too. I love solving cases and putting the perps in jail. It’s the highlight of my day to make justice,” Emma shrugs, trying to look not too involved in answering these questions.

What she has wanted since she first met Regina, is happening right now: they are getting to know each other. Well, not entirely, but Regina is listening to Emma’s job, about what made her choose her profession, which is a very important topic for her. Unfortunately, though, Emma is not the detective Regina was looking for. This is only happening by chance and that’s why she can’t get too involved in the mood of telling so much to the other woman. Emma has to constantly be reminding herself that she is doing this professionally and nothing more.

“That’s very noble of you, Detective Swan. I wish all workers of the law thought like you. It would make a large difference in our society if everyone solemnly cared about justice.” Emma slowly agrees with the response, realizing that the other woman wanted to say something else, but prevented herself from doing it which leaves Emma a bit curious about what it could be. “What skills do you need to be a successful detective?”

“You have to be very smart and an unusually perceptive individual. You have to see people through all the possible layers, not be naïve and use some lie detecting-skills. It’s really easy for me to know when someone is lying. It’s kind of a superpower I have.”

“Oh,” Regina mutters, seeming a bit surprised by Emma’s confession of a ‘superpower’. “So, you know when everyone is lying by just looking at them?” The brunette inquires with curiosity.

Emma slowly nods, hesitant at first, remembering how unsure she had been while trying to read Regina on the island. Emma had _known_ Regina was lying at some point but didn’t delve into it because she didn’t want to ruin the moment; didn’t want to believe in anything that would make her suffer in advance. Despite it all, she still did suffer eventually.

“It… it depends,” she starts. “Sometimes it doesn’t work and sometimes it just happens instantly.”

Regina stays a while in silence, eyes deep into emerald ones until she asks with her voice low and serious, “What about _me_?”

Emma’s eyebrows flick up at the unexpected question. She asks dumbly, “You?”

The brunette leans her elbows on the table in a way to stay closer to Emma, which the blonde _doesn’t_ appreciate right now — since she will easily lose her concentration with the woman so close — but Regina doesn’t care. She is staring so intensely at Emma that she is almost sure the woman can see through her soul. And the scent of her perfume has filled this entire room by now, making Emma lightheaded.

“Could you see through me?” Regina boldly asks once again. “Did you know I was an actress when we… when we were still on the island… together?”

Emma grits her teeth, not wanting to answer any of this; not understanding why Regina is suddenly talking about them when all they should be doing is a _professional interview._

“You’re losing the focus of the interview,” Emma responds, looking away from dark brown eyes.

“Emma, why are you doing this?” Regina pressures on, relentless.

“I’m not doing anything. You’re losing focus of-”

“Why are you acting like you don’t know me? Like the days we were together in the Maldives didn’t matter?”

“Because that’s what _you_ wanted!” Emma snaps, feeling very much angry at all these unexpected questions. “You left me a note, remember? A _stupid_ note,” she's upset and her voice suddenly goes hoarse with emotions she tried so hard to forget. “I’m just respecting what you wrote,” she finishes, standing up from her chair, wanting to leave this office and never look back. This is too much for her to take in right now. Regina is acting as if she doesn’t remember leaving that note, but now she cares that they talk about it, which is so unpredictable. She was the one who left Emma in a blur with no trace of where she was going, and now she is here, claiming to understand why the blonde is acting cold. She asked for their encounter to be this away. She didn’t want to be with Emma then, and she sure won’t want to now.

Regina stands up quickly after, her hand reaching out for Emma’s. “Emma, please, let’s talk-”

When Regina’s hand comes in contact with hers, she closes her eyes, trying to dismiss the touch and form coherent words in her head. “Regina, I… I don’t know what you want from me.” She releases a sigh. “I don’t why you’re here, why you’re even talking to me right now. You could have just walked away the minute you realized I was one of the detectives working here. You made it pretty clear in your note that, _‘the summer dream is over’_ and I am doing as it said. Now, this interview is over.” Emma attempts to undo the contact between their hands, but the touch tightens, causing her to turn around to find pleading brown eyes looking back at her.

“Emma, what if… what if I don’t _want_ to do what it says on that note? You’re here right now and I just need…”

“What? Need what?” Emma wonders out loud, her voice hoarse and oh, so hopeful.

“Can we meet somewhere after your shift? Please?”

Emma’s jaw tightens, her heart increasing its beat — pounding and pounding insanely. “Wh-why?” She stammers out.

“Because I want to explain to you _why_ I left that note. Why I didn’t want you to know I was an actress.”

“Why don’t you just tell me now?”

“Because this is not the place to discuss something so personal.” Regina moves to grab something inside her handbag, but impressively doesn’t let go of Emma’s hand. “Here’s my cellphone number. If you want to hear what I have to say, please text me and I’ll give you the address of where I’m staying in the city.”

Emma doesn’t say anything for a while. Just stares blankly at her, surprised by her offer and all the admissions. Emma knows she desperately wants to hear whatever Regina will say, but knows that she won’t take it lightly, another imminent rejection. What will Regina say that could possibly erase how superfluous she had been by leaving that stupid note?

“Will you think about it, at least?” Regina asks, her eyes downcast and expressing a bit of disappointment. That view makes Emma’s heart clench in her chest.

However, she maintains her cold demeanour and says, “I’ll let you know.” She grabs the card from Regina's fingers and opens the door of the room.

Regina nods slowly and walks past Emma to leave. She doesn’t look back, though. She just walks away and Emma is left there, staring at her back, trying to regain her breathing and think of something that wouldn't make her want to kiss that woman and beg her for more.

 _Holy shit._ What the fuck did just happen?

Emma quickly heads to the restroom, hiding in a stall to get her breathing under control and her fucking heart that doesn’t stop pounding anxiously about all the things Regina said. She rests her head against the door of the stall, letting her eyes draw closed as she replays the “interview” in her mind. Emma wouldn’t deny her curiosity about Regina’s reason to leave the island and not tell her about it, besides diverging all the blonde’s questions about her personal life when they were travelling. Emma knows if she tells her friends what Regina promised to confide in her, they will demand she texts the brunette and asks for her address as soon as possible.

Thinking about her friends, Emma unlocks her phone to check their group on iMessage:

Of course, Mulan would use the first opportunity to tell their friends. Emma doesn’t blame her, though. Who wouldn’t be surprised by what just occurred in this precinct today?

Her phone suddenly beeps with a new text from Mulan asking: **_“Where are you? Regina just left.”_**

Emma uses that as her cue to leave the bathroom and face her friend who must be _dying_ to talk to her about whatever happened in the interview room for the past twenty minutes. The soon Mulan sees her, she leaps off of her chair and drags Emma outside of the precinct.

“Oh, my God, Emma! I’ve been biting my nails while waiting for you! Regina’s gone now and the interview just took twenty minutes? Why? What did you two talk about? Did you fight? Did you-”

“Mulan,” Emma interjects, putting her hands up to slow her friend down. “Please, slow down and I’ll tell you.”

“Hurry up, then!”

And Emma tells Mulan every detail she could remember that happened in the interview room, watching as her friend’s face turned from excited to shocked and deeply confused, just like Emma has been feeling since the minute she saw Regina here today.

* * *

♬

_You got me scattered in pieces_

_Shining like stars and screaming_

_Lighting me up like Venus_

_But then you disappear and make me wait_

_And every second's like torture_

_Hell over trip, no more so_

_Finding a way to let go_

_Baby, baby, no I can't escape_

— Selena Gomez

Let’s just say Emma has no argument against her friends when the matter is if she should go meet Regina or not. Mulan had the (not so brilliant) idea of face-timing their friends during their coffee break to ask them what Emma should do. Everyone was still a little bit shocked by the events that occurred at the precinct today. Emma told them a few of the details and how Regina left her confused with her questions. It’s impossible not to feel curious about whatever Regina will say in her defence — and that’s why the girls demanded Emma to text Regina and go meet her after.

Now, the clock is almost hitting 7 pm, the time at which Emma’s shift ends. She has been a nervous wreck the whole afternoon. What has started as a slow and calming day, certainly was ending the most chaotic way — well, at least that was what it felt like in Emma’s messy and confused head.

The way Emma took the whole afternoon to think about if she should really go or not, it must have triggered Regina in some way to be waiting this long for a response. Well, Emma doesn’t feel so bad about making her wait. She was the one who left the island with no plausible explanations and now wants to explain herself, at last. Emma will give her the chance because, _God,_ she’s damn weak to deny anything Regina asks.

As usual, Emma hitchhikes with Mulan on her way home because they’re partners and live close together. Emma is still saving money to buy her own car, but sometimes she wonders if living off of public transportation is way better for the planet and rethinks if she should buy a car or not. 

“Emms, you go take a long, steamy shower and put on a sexy outfit, all right?” Mulan teases the minute the car comes to a halt in front of Emma’s building. “You go see that beautiful bombshell and solve your life with her.”

Emma rolls her eyes at her friend’s words and remarks, “It’s not a date, just so you know.” With that clarified, she hops out of the car and heads to her apartment feeling still super conflicted. 

However, Emma does _exactly_ what Mulan suggested: she takes her time in the hot, steamy shower, letting her mind wander to what could happen at Regina’s. She chooses her best black jeans and a dark-green, three-quarter blouse that shows a bit of her cleavage — which is _not_ on purpose at all — and her favourite trench coat on top to face the chilly weather outside.

It’s 7:40 p.m. when she finally pulls out the paper card Regina gave her and types the number on her phone. She saves it under _Regina_ and also adds her favourite photo of her just because she _wants to._

Public transportation at night is way less crowded and smells better, obviously, so Emma is thankful for that. She didn’t want to get to Regina’s house smelling like other people. The address takes her to a median brick row house with a beautiful garden upfront and around and it looks like a house a family would live in. With her heart about to leap out from her throat, Emma presses the doorbell and, minutes later, the door pops open.

Just like in her dream, the sight that greets her is to _die_ for: Regina is wearing a bright red romper encased with sleeves almost to the elbow that has tight ruffles and buttons going down the front, leading to an enticing V-neck line that makes Emma thirsty immediately. It’s not a surprise when the first thing that pops into her mind is to rip those buttons off and kiss her way down Gina’s chest to her beautiful breasts.

She swallows dryly at the dirty thought, forgetting how to breathe the second Regina takes a step closer to greet her in whatever way she’s deemed casual for them tonight. Instantly, Emma takes a step backwards, putting a hand in front of her body to protect herself from this _sexy seductress._ Holy shit, she barely arrived and her body’s needs are already betraying her will to stay controlled.

“Emma, what are you doing?” The brunette asks with a frown, noticing that Emma is backing off.

“I’m not getting in there with you dressed like this,” she says, shaking her head ‘no’ at the same time she points her index finger to the brunette’s outfit.

Regina’s mouth opens in slight shock at the blonde’s candid answer, but doesn’t relent, as usual, and pulls Emma inside by the wrist, either way, closing the door behind them. Then, Emma is suddenly fully aware of how close they are to each other: their chests mere inches from touching and Regina’s hand is wrapped softly around Emma’s wrist just like today at the precinct. Her face turns pink by such proximity and she quickly backs away, once again, to regain her composure. Emma is _not_ here on a date like Mulan had implied, also not here to fall for old habits — she’s here to listen to what Regina has to say about her actions on the island. That’s _it_.

“What’s the matter with my outfit?” Regina asks, a small pout forming on her crimson lips.

Emma doesn’t think twice about responding with the first thing that comes to her mind, “Is that how you dress for casual conversations or are you going out with somebody after I leave?” And she regrets it a second later, realizing she sounds a bit jealous the way she asked with such a derisive tone.

Regina’s eyebrows flick up, looking surprised by her question, and the seconds that take for the brunette to think of what to say, Emma’s stomach does somersaults, confused in a mix of jealousy and hope.

“No, I won’t go out with anyone tonight,” Regina finally answers, hands on her waist in a relaxed manner as an endearing, lopsided grin starts to grace her lips. “I just like to dress up for whatever the reason is and I… I thought you might like it,” she confesses, causing Emma to blush.

Well, _now_ Regina cares about what Emma might like or not. The blonde didn’t like it _at all_ to be left in the blue with a stupid note back in the Maldives. But _now_ Regina cares.

She is looking at Emma expectantly, waiting for her answer, but the blonde doesn’t know what to say. She is _mad_ at Regina, however, she can’t act mad right now when her heart plummets against her chest with so much hope and _want_ for this woman. It’s stupid to feel this way, but she can’t help it.

“Let me get you out of this coat,” Regina suddenly says, approaching Emma quickly. 

The blonde doesn’t have time to back off this time. In instants, Regina’s hands are inside her coat, sliding from her chest to her shoulders, pulling the coat off delicately. Emma is holding her breath, body shivering with the proximity and the hands that are sliding on her chest. But she can’t say anything. She’s frozen in place.

Thankfully, Regina moves to put the coat away and Emma finally can breathe again. Then, she turns around and grasps Emma’s wrist again as if she does that often. “Come, I’ll get us a drink.”

Emma lets herself be pulled gently away by the wrist. For a few minutes, she lets herself get absorbed by the memories of the Maldives where they touched each other constantly with no awkward conversations; where they lived _their_ _summer dream._ She rolls her eyes at the thought, noticing then that they’ve arrived at the kitchen.

“Did you drive here?” Regina asks while uncorking a bottle of wine and Emma just stares at her, leaning her body against the counter to keep her eyes fully focused on the intriguing woman in front of her. She is confused by _all of it_ and isn’t completely sure of how to act or what to say. Emma is basically going with the flow and trying to keep her crazy heart at bay.

“Uh, no,” she answers. “I used the subway. Why?”

“Wondering if it’d be safe for you to drink alcohol,” the brunette explains, motioning to the wine bottle. She pours two healthy amounts into some fancy crystal glasses with a lazy smile on her face that makes Emma’s insides tingle. But before they can raise their glasses and cheer to whatever is going on between them right now, Gina says, “I’ll be right back.” And disappears back into the living room.

A low ballad starts playing, picking up Emma’s attention, and while she tries to figure out what song it is, Regina is already back with that smile on her beautiful face. The woman of the song starts singing and Emma realizes it’s a song she has heard before: _Dreams_ by Fleetwood Mac, only in this version it’s a cover made by someone else and the rhythm is much slower, much more romantic and also _sad_ somehow. She listens attentively, watching with the corner of her eyes as Regina stops by the counter beside her and bumps their shoulders, making her gasp at the impromptu touch.

God, anytime this woman comes closer, her heart races and a feeling of exhilaration fills her whole body. It’s _insane._ Emma has never felt this way with Lily just by the mere touch of her shoulder against hers. 

Regina suddenly clinks her glass against Emma’s and the blonde comes out of her stupor, smiling down at the brunette even though she is still a bit unsure about everything that is going on. Emma takes a large sip of the wine, relishing on the sweet aroma of purple grapes and the alcoholic taste, wondering if maybe it will help with the confused thoughts in her head.

“Would you like a tour of the house?” Regina suddenly asks, probably tired already about the awkward silence that was forming between them.

“Sure,” she answers casually, acting as if nothing matters to her, and grabs her glass of wine to go along with her. It is best if she pretends she doesn’t feel anything and lets Regina lead the way. Besides, they still haven’t started talking about what Emma came here to listen to, they should-

All of a sudden, Gina slides her hand into Emma’s naturally (as if it belongs there) and pulls her towards the stairs, never letting go. The gesture, as small as it is, sends warmth trickling down Emma’s spine and silly goosebumps appear on her skin. To be honest, all this feels _surreal_ ; being with Gina in her house in New York feels fucking _out of this world_. The way they met this afternoon and how things played out will never sort itself out in Emma’s head. It’s too surprising and, at the same time, super confusing. And now she’s here, hand in hand with the brunette, feeling lost in her head and yet feeling _complete_ to be around this woman again.

Emma knows that she _should_ let go of that warm hand locked with hers, but she doesn’t want to. Instead, she allows Regina to drag her up the stairs directly into a neat, well-decorated bedroom with lots and lots of pictures on the walls all around. It’s a very beautiful bedroom with many _interesting_ photos and Emma suddenly wants to get closer and analyze each one of them.

“Wow,” she mutters, contemplating the sight of many incredible pictures in front of her — pictures where Regina is a child, a teenager, a young adult and pictures with what Emma assumes are her family, friends and relatives. At that moment, she remembers Regina’s eagerness to use her professional camera on the island and how many photos she took while they were exploring together. Well, now this explains a bit of her personality: Regina likes to take photos of others and likes to model too, because the amount of photos of herself in black and white is countless, and so damn beautiful that leaves Emma open-mouthed, staring at them all with fascination.

“You’re in my childhood bedroom, Emma,” Regina starts. “This is the house I grew up in with my parents and my older sister. They’re right here.” She points to a certain picture of some people on the wall who look very much like Regina. Well, except for one.

“Who’s this?” Emma questions, pointing to a red-head in the picture.

“That’s my sister Zelena. I _know_ she doesn’t look anything like me.” Gina chuckles and continues, “she’s my half-sister.”

Emma nods, briefly glancing at Regina with shine in her eyes, completely amazed by all the small details about her life she is discovering right now.

“I was born here, in Brooklyn, and lived in this house until I turned 24 years old. Then, as I was engrossed in my acting career, I moved to LA to start auditioning closer to Hollywood and have been living there since.”

What Emma was expecting to happen on the island is finally happening _now_ : Regina is telling her about her life, about her past… she’s getting to know Regina, just like she wanted on the island. The realization causes butterflies to form in her stomach. If Regina is telling her all this, it means she cares about Emma of sorts, right? Well, at least it seems likely _now_.

“Your parents don’t live here anymore?” Emma asks with curiosity. Then, she looks down for a second and realizes their hands are still comfortably locked with one another. Her heart starts racing at the thought of this gesture being a common occurrence between them…

“Oh, they do,” Regina answers, completely unaware of the inner turmoil going on inside Emma’s head. “But they’re in Italy right now. It’s a shame I didn’t get a chance to see them.” She makes a small pout, looking pensive as she does so. “I wasn’t planning on coming to New York until my Dad’s birthday, but the opportunity for this audition came up and I couldn’t refuse to do some research in the city the TV show takes place.”

Emma loves that Regina is opening up to her but… God, she should be mad at her — no, she _is_ still mad at Regina for disappearing on her and leaving that meaningless note. So, they need to get on that topic immediately now. Emma can’t be having these hopeful thoughts only for them to be crushed down again in the end.

“Yeah, it’s a shame,” she complies curtly, unlocking their hands to put them inside her jeans’ back pocket. She wants to say something besides that; wants to hurry Regina up to start talking about what she came here for. Wants all of it to be explained for once and for all, but… she can’t. Emma is suddenly enthralled by Regina’s movements as she takes a small sip of her wine, then places the glass on the bedside table to sit on the large, fluffy bed. She crosses her gorgeous legs and leans her hands on the duvet, but her eyes don’t waver from Emma’s face. 

The blonde feels very much in the spotlight while being stared at by Regina like this. Her eyes are so dark and intensely deep; Emma can easily get lost in all the secrets it holds in them.

“Come here,” Regina says, patting the spot on the bed beside her.

Emma stares at it warily, wondering if she should or not sit there and, once again, stand too close to Regina. Reason tells her not to, but the emotion is in charge of her body right now, so it moves on its own accord, only stopping when she sits exactly on the spot where Regina’s hand had patted on. She is still holding her wine glass because it’s a good idea to keep her hands busy, otherwise, they might move voluntarily while having Regina so close.

While the brunette is quiet, Emma takes the opportunity to drink another sip of her wine, wishing the alcohol would make her feel more in control of herself, which is not how it works, and Emma knows that. But it’s good having something to be distracted with besides the woman next to her.

“This is the first room of the house I wanted to show you, because it tells a lot about me,” Regina breaks the silence, causing Emma to turn and face her. She looks so, so beautiful from up close; not one imperfection. “Since you wanted to get to know me, here you can find my hopes, my dreams, and so many memories of what I wanted to be and what I’ve become,” she says, her words patient and an affectionate smile on her face.

Emma can only stare at her while she tells all of this. It certainly wasn’t something she thought she’d be listening to when she wondered about this encounter all day. Despite everything, Emma can’t help but listen to it completely mesmerized by every word that comes out of those plump lips.

“In this room, Emma, I had my first kiss with a girl,” Regina confesses and Emma feels a small pang of jealousy in her chest along with a hint of curiosity for more. She doesn’t know _why_ Regina is telling her this, but she sure wants to know more. “It took a while for me to give in and take a chance, but when I finally succumbed to my desire and actually kissed a girl, I can say that my perspective of life changed drastically,” Regina continues, eyes alternating between Emma and the room around her, seeming even a bit shy to be talking about such a personal topic.

The ‘Gina’ she met on the island would never be telling her stuff like this, which is weird because, right now, she can’t stop talking and basically _pleaded_ for Emma to be here tonight to listen to her. Why couldn’t Regina say these things, or talk about herself, her life, when they were on the island? What made her choose that path and hurt Emma on the way? 

Emma decides to take another sip of her wine to calm herself down and almost chokes on the liquid when she feels the mattress moving beside her, and the warmth emanating from Regina’s body feels closer — so close that her mind has already placed the memories of their lips together and blue water all around them.

Unable to help herself, Emma turns to face the beautiful brunette. Her face is near, but not too near. The familiar fragrance of her exquisite perfume has wafted through the whole room and Emma is almost sure that, when she leaves, she will have Regina’s scent on her body for _hours_ after.

“In this room, Emma, I felt many, many things,” Regina continues, and anticipation bubbles in the pit of Emma’s stomach. “And now you’re here…” Her right-hand leans heavily on the mattress as her body inclines closer to Emma’a, left hand reaching out to touch the skin of her elbow to her covered shoulder. Emma looks down at those tantalizing fingers on her skin, feeling her body receive goosebumps instantly from the soft caress. Then, she meets Regina’s eyes and they seem impossibly darker, blown with lust. “You’re here now, Emma, listening to me with utter attention and all I want to do is… _feel_ again,” Regina breathes out, left hand reaching out to Emma’s cheek, thumb sliding on the skin towards her mouth in seconds.

Emma is completely frozen in place, unsure of how to move or what to say, or how to stop this. The only problem is: she doesn’t _want_ it to stop. Her own eyes are staring at those plump lips coloured a light red that she _yearns_ to kiss again. They’re so close… it’d be so easy to just lean in and-

Regina’s thumb slowly grazes the skin of Emma’s lower lip, causing her mind to lose all coherent thoughts and swim in arousal. “I want to feel whatever I felt while I was here in the past, discovering so much about myself… and while I was in the Maldives… with you.” 

Emma feels a sharp tug inside her chest, an awkward inner pull that closes her ribs tighter around her heart that makes her want to drop all her walls and throw herself at this woman. By looking at Regina, she knows that the brunette wants to kiss her; can notice how her eyes have a deep, dark colour to them that incites the pure desire she’s feeling. For a minute, Emma lets herself get lost in those dark orbs and allows herself to give in.

Her lips meet Regina’s gently, her free hand reaching to rest on the brunette’s waist to pull her closer. At first, the kiss is just slow and gentle; barely a press of lips against soft, scented skin. Then, Emma feels herself getting hotter and her heart beating louder as Regina wraps both her arms around her neck, causing their bodies to press awkwardly together, but still, they’re pressed together and the warmth she receives is _heavenly_. Emma loves the way Regina’s slim body melts into hers. The way their lips fit like two puzzle pieces. The way Regina relents as Emma plays with her hair and holds her tighter and tighter, wanting to consume this passion, this amazing feeling of having her back in her arms. 

Their hands move against each other’s body, wanting to be _impossibly_ closer, and Emma hears muffled moans against her own lips, feeling Regina’s body turn to putty in her arms as their kiss becomes more passionate, _ardent_ , even, and all Emma wants to do is push Regina against her bed to make her remember their few torrid nights spent together, limbs against limbs, drawing out the pleasure from one another.

Emma sighs into Regina's mouth, trailing her hands out of her hair so that they can graze down the sides of her face. She leaves them pressed against her cheeks, her thumbs rolling over the hard line of her jaw, wanting to memorize it. It shouldn’t be fair as to how Emma wants more, how one kiss can make her feel as if she’s floating, electricity sparking across her skin as everything within her awakens.

 _Fuck_. The way Regina mounts on top of her is maddening and Emma can feel her panties becoming heavy with arousal. Her hands take the notion of its own, wandering around every spot of Regina’s body, sometimes going under that gorgeous red romper she’s wearing. She feels the other woman moan against her lips, her breath heavy and skin sizzling hot. Emma feels her body almost combusting from the hot touch of their bodies together. She has wanted to feel this again for so long that-

Something suddenly falls on the floor and breaks, causing them to stop the kiss abruptly and look alarmed at each other.

“Shit, it’s the glass,” Emma mutters with a grimace, but Gina just smiles at her, not bothered by the occurrence, and kisses her again.

Emma finds it so easy to give in to this woman, to give her everything she wants. But the unfortunate interruption of the glass breaking serves to throw some conscience into her mind. Regina hasn’t told her yet about the reasons she left the island like that. They haven’t reached that point yet. Instead, they’re kissing and Emma has been distracted for a few minutes, giving everything into the kiss and this alluring woman. However, they can’t be doing this. It reminds Emma of the distractions Regina had tried out when they were on the island. 

With that in mind, she interrupts the kiss, feeling her heart dropping on the bottom of its black hole once again upon recognizing the same thing Regina did on the island on their last night together.

“Regina, I, uh…” She clears her throat before continuing, “I think this was a mistake.”

Regina’s eyes widen and her soft smile disappears in turn of a disappointed expression on her face. “What?”

“It seems you’re doing the same you did on the island again and I’m not here for that,” Emma confesses, already standing up from the bed to be far away from Regina and her enticing lips.

“Emma, what-”

“I should get going,” she says, not even looking at the brunette who abruptly stands to meet her on the carpet.

“Emma, please, let me-”

She hears Regina muttering words beside her, but she doesn’t hear them, she doesn’t need to. The only thing she needs is to get out of this house. To run away like she always does. 

“Goodbye, Regina.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a surprise, huh! Who would have imagined that such a coincidence could happen? Or wasn't it a coincidence? Why did Emma leave? Why didn't Regina tell her why she left the island? Oh, boy, so many questions!!!
> 
> Tell me what you think it'll happen, please? Make an author happy ;)


	8. She Is Captivating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a few references to some people on twitter that I like in this chapter lol some of them will know who they are ;)
> 
> Also, there are some very important dialogues in this chapter that might trigger some people smh or might clear their minds? You tell me later...

♬

_Say you love me to my face_

_I need it more than your embrace_

_Just say you want me, that's all it takes_

_Heart's getting torn from your mistakes_

— Jessie Ware

In less than five minutes, Emma is out of the house and under the humid and dark weather, breathing raggedly. Her heart is pounding loudly against her ribcage, her hand is trembling and her mouth is on fire from being devoured so erotically shortly ago. Every spot of her body that Regina touched, feels like burning fire now along with a nagging pain in her chest that seems like it won’t subside anytime soon. Everything feels so overwhelming… Emma is so confused, so fucking _mad_ , and still goddamn hopeful that Regina will burst out of the door and ask her to stay.

The truth is: she didn’t want to leave at all. Being with the woman she’s in love with has been her priority since the day she realized her feelings. However, back then, Emma had no clue if she would ever see Regina again and, because of that and that stupid note, the blonde literally had been thinking all this time that Regina only _used_ her to have a good time on her vacation.

Emma was very surprised when Regina asked her over this afternoon. It took awhile for her to admit she really wanted to meet her and listen to what she had to say. It also became very hard for Emma to control herself, her _feelings_ all over the edge when Regina stood so close; when for two whole months she had been so far and out of reach. Her friends had encouraged her to meet Regina because their encounter was really unpredictable, so it had to _mean_ something, they said. Deep down, Emma knew it had to, but she also couldn’t let her heart be exposed to the possible imminent rejection.

Regina, however, didn’t reject her. Emma was the one pulling away, being cautious and not wanting to stand too close or to listen to what wasn’t there. The main reason Regina invited Emma over was to clarify her unexpected actions on the island; to explain why she didn’t say goodbye properly and just left the blonde that note. In spite of the invite, Regina never explained any of that. Instead, she slowly allured Emma to a story about her past and her feelings about women. Her words had a lilt to them that felt like a magnet to Emma’s ears and heart. It was _hard_ not to give in, especially when all she wanted was to just bring the other woman closer to her and forget everything that happened and just… _start over._ It felt beyond great to kiss those lips again, to feel the warmness of her body so close and the gratification of smelling her sweet perfume… Emma unfortunately had fallen for her charm and forgot why she went there in the first place. Her heart was still hurting by the abrupt parting note and coldness. She _needed_ an explanation, thus when Regina started kissing her and didn’t want to stop to talk about what really mattered, Emma realized the same was happening again.

What happened there certainly felt like a planned seduction of sorts and _that_ is what is hurting Emma the most right now. If Regina had planned it all along to seduce and have sex with her, Emma made the right decision when she abruptly left the house. If she stayed, she was going to be used again (even though she liked how that was going to go through), but it would do no good to her broken heart. 

Even though she is staring wistfully at the front door right now, still patiently waiting for Regina to come out and ask her to stay, Emma knows deep down that she won’t. The truth is that Regina never saw Emma as anything more than a good _fuck_ during her summer dream. 

The truth hurts like a bitch, but not like the first time. When Regina first left, Emma would describe her heartache like an insatiable fire that burnt all the oxygen in her body, leaving her listless and empty or unsure of how to move on, how to forget the memories that haunted her from time to time. But now, it feels more like a thin layer of ice, cooling her insides, a gentle reminder of the pain that came before and a warning not to stoke that fire again. That gives her enough warning not to put her heart out there again because Emma is almost sure she can’t survive another inferno.

Without looking back, Emma jogs her way over to the train station, feeling the coldness of the night reach into her bones, as if her heart were a door left wide open to the icy wind, slamming only to open again. The only thing to do is to keep moving. The sky is a rolling blanket of clouds the colour of wet ash, and the ground its dank reflection. Emma doesn’t stop until she’s safely seated in the subway.

While inhaling deeply to control her breathing, she grabs her phone to text Ruby and ask if she can come over. Emma doesn’t want to be alone right now. She wants to talk about what happened and she needs her friends to be there for her. As always, Ruby is the sweetest and urges Emma to come over, wanting to comfort her. Honestly, Emma has no idea what she would do if she hadn’t met all of her girlfriends. Growing up in foster care had been the worst experience of her life, but life changed for the better when she was able to free herself from the government’s claims of her and became the owner of herself, finally able to choose what she wanted to be. Meeting her friends was a very important turning point for her life because, then, she understood that family wasn’t blood.

The train is empty and the ride is quick, so soon Emma is pressing the doorbell of Ruby and Belle’s house. She knows they’re the right people to talk to now. Elsa would basically mock her, like she always does, and Mulan would look at her with certain pity, unsure of what to do or what to say. Mulan has never been good enough with feelings, anyway, and Emma understands that. Mulan is just a different kind of friend. Not everyone is the same.

“Oh, Emms!” Ruby says as soon as the door opens, quickly pulling the blonde into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she mutters against Emma’s hair. “Please, tell us everything.”

And Emma does tell them everything, detail by detail. These two are very compassionate and they usually give the best advice. Despite Ruby being a bit crazy sometimes, Belle brings out the best in her, which is so amazing for the two of them. Certainly Emma’s favourite couple in the world.

She finishes telling them all of it, and releases a sigh at the end, finally letting her body rest against the back of the couch. Ruby and Belle are looking at her with certain determination on their faces, willing to understand what happened and help Emma feel better, which already gives her the comfort of having friends who care so much. They sit on each side of her on the couch and turn their bodies to focus fully on Emma.

“All right, let’s talk about it,” Ruby announces. “Well, from my point of view, I think Regina is a bit confused about finding you here in New York and she didn’t know what to do, _at_ _first_ ,” the brunette states carefully. “But when she realized you were a bit _angry_ with her during the interview,” she points out. “She invited you to come over to a more private place to just talk because she _wanted_ to explain herself, right?” Emma slowly nods at her friend. “Well, despite what you think, I’m assuming it wasn’t a planned seduction.” Belle nods along with her fiancé and Emma rolls her eyes at them.

“It certainly _felt_ like a planned seduction. She invited me to talk, but she had second intentions from the start. God, the way she was dressed it was just… she wanted to impress me somehow. She said it so,” Emma remarks, swallowing dryly at the reminder.

“I… I think that Regina wanted a replay of the days you spent together on the island from the moment she saw you in the captain’s office, Emma,” Belle says with a knowing look. Emma grits her teeth, remembering how intense it felt to be stared at by those dark, brown eyes so unexpectedly earlier this afternoon. “By this, we know that she wants you some way; we know that she missed you somehow-”

Emma scoffs. “Missed me? That’s not possible because I’m nothing more than a good _fuck_ to her,” she bitterly remarks.

“Emma, I think there is much more to it than just sex for her,” Ruby counters with seriousness. “If there wasn’t, she wouldn’t have told you all that about her feelings about women or taken you to her parents’ house. That environment was too personal and yet, she took you there.”

Emma sighs, letting that sink in to try to waver the pain in her heart.

“And let me remind you that she’s an _actress_ and I bet she doesn’t take _anyone_ to her parents’ house like that,” Ruby persists. “You must matter to her somehow, don’t you think so?”

Emma covers her face with her hands and groans into them. Now she is so damn confused. “Why are you guys making me feel hopeful about all of this? _Ugh!”_

Ruby and Belle chuckle at her confession.

“So, Emma — maybe Regina just really missed you and wanted to have you back. Maybe she lost herself in her pursue tonight and just jumped right into sexual thoughts,” Belle says. “If you had stayed, maybe she’d have told you why she left the island without a proper goodbye.”

Emma uncovers her face upon hearing that and stares at Belle with a befuddled expression. “So, you’re implying that I should have stayed and listened to her?”

“I guess… I don’t know, to be honest,” Belle responds. “But you’re feeling bad and she’s probably feeling bad too because, if she wasn’t interested in you somehow, she would have ended the interview this afternoon and never look back.”

Emma slowly nods, letting the words sink in as her heart flutters at the thought. _What if?_

“It kinda feels like she’s completely unaware of what she’s doing, to be honest,” Ruby points out and continues when Emma remains in silence, “she tweeted something interesting this afternoon. Did you see it?”

Emma looks at her a bit alarmed. “No, I… I have been trying _not_ to check on her on social media.”

Ruby smiles at her. “Well, she tweeted something that we think it relates to you.”

“Really?” Emma asks, straightening her posture on the couch. “What did she tweet?”

Ruby puts her phone in Emma’s hands with Regina’s Twitter page opened:

The question is deep and surprises Emma in the slightest because she certainly wasn’t expecting anything like this. She swallows and asks with her voice low, full of emotion, “Why do you think this is about me?”

Ruby smiles cheekily at her. “It’s not exactly about _you_ , but we think it is _related_ to you,” she explains. “I think Regina feels confused about her feelings and used her social media to talk to her fans and see what they think.” Emma slowly nods at that. “She doesn’t tweet much, so when she does, her fans interact a lot with her. Look!”

Ruby opens the comments section and Emma looks down at a few of the fans interacting with the tweet:

Emma stares at the first five comments, reading each one and feeling a whirlwind of emotions instantly fill her head and heart.

“Her sister also commented. See?” Ruby points to the tweet of a redhead woman; the same on the photo she saw in Regina’s parents’ house.

“Yeah, uh, Regina mentioned something about her sister today.”

“We stalked her and found a lot of photos of them on Zelena’s Instagram,” Belle says and Emma nods along, still unable to peel her eyes away from the tweet and those comments. Is Regina really confused about finding Emma here? “Besides, she tweeted this late afternoon. Maybe a few hours after your interview with her?”

Emma can only nod once again, watching silently as Ruby clicks on another tweet from Regina:

“This one, she tweeted like…” Ruby looks down at her wristwatch and then back up at Emma. “Twenty-minutes ago. Basically when you ran away from there.”

“Oh,” Emma mutters, realizing that Regina must _really_ be confused if she’s seeking some comfort on social media — the world where everyone speculates something about one’s life.

“She was so confused about everything when you left that she tweeted again. Maybe her confusion impeded her to come after you,” Belle adds with an arched eyebrow.

Emma just groans into her hands again, feeling her head super heavy with the number of questions, assumptions and stupid _butterflies in her stomach_.

“All right, all right, I guess it’s enough of talking for now, hm?” Emma says, standing from the couch. “Can we eat something? I’m starving!”

Ruby and Belle once again chuckle at her whole-heartedly and Emma gives them a small smile.

“Thanks for talking to me. But now I really need some distraction from it all.”

“We get it, blondie,” Ruby says, patting Emma on the back. “Let’s order some pizza.”

* * *

♬

_Want to feel burning flames when you say my name_

_Want to feel passion flow into my bones_

_Like blood through my veins_

_Won’t you stay_

— Jessie Ware

After sharing an amazing breakfast with Ruby and Belle on the morning after, Emma finally heads back to her own silent apartment. It’s her day off and, for some reason, she wanted to go to work just to keep her mind off of things. However, there is also the chance that Regina could go to the precinct today for another interview, this time with Mulan, and it’s better if Emma is not there. She left last night, Regina didn’t come back after her. That’s it. End of story.

Emma uses the rest of the morning to sleep, as usual, because sleeping is never enough, and when she wakes up, it’s already lunchtime. Not willing to cook, Emma orders food from her favourite Italian restaurant and enjoys the delicious lasagna in front of the TV while watching a random show. Of course, it makes her remember Regina. Everything does, anyway, so what’s the surprise?

That’s when her phone beeps with a new text. She quickly glances at it, her heart skipping a beat at the notion that it could be Regina.

It’s not. Obviously not. It’s Elsa, actually.

Emma unlocks her phone and stares at the photo Elsa just sent her feeling that constant nagging pain in her heart:

She bitterly types that and locks her phone, feeling angry at Elsa and angry at her own heart for being so stupid and pathetic for someone who doesn’t want anything to do with her.

Emma groans into nothingness, feeling unwanted thoughts invade her head. It hurts and she just wants it to _stop._ Wants to forget all the things she said last night, all the implications her friends made about it and wants the small flicker of hope in her heart to vanish because it’s just _useless_.

She finishes eating the rest of her meal with a frown, replaying the picture in her mind Elsa sent her over and over again. Even though she is hurting and angry, Emma can’t help wanting to search for that TV show to see _her girl._ Ugh. 

“Don’t get it over your head, Swan,” she reprimands herself out loud and moves off of the couch to put away the leftovers.

When she’s done cleaning the kitchen and then brushing her teeth, Emma flops back down on the couch with a sigh. She unlocks her phone to stare at that photo again, feeling her heart soar. Regina looks younger, so the TV show must be older. Emma is curious about it. Very much so, as expected. She helplessly searches for _Swingtown_ on the streaming app and clicks on the first episode. _Fuck it_. She wants to watch it and she will.

Overall, Emma never thought she could feel so many distinct emotions while watching an episode of a television show. She was hit by surprise, at first, then jealousy, anger, embarrassment and, weirdly, also a bit of arousal. The name _Swingtown_ makes sense now since it’s from a town of couples who like to _swing_. Now it explains why Elsa had liked it so much. Regina’s performance is outstanding, as usual, because she _excels_ at acting — actually, at everything she does, to be honest. Despite Emma feeling extremely jealous of every scene the brunette has to kiss her husband, or even another man, she also feels aroused by all of it. She can’t deny it’s an interesting show. 

Emma binge-watches eight episodes straight, only stopping for bathroom breaks. She’s so invested in the plot that she barely hears the intercom buzzing from the reception downstairs. She pauses the show (because she doesn’t want to miss a thing) and moves to answer whoever might be. The doorman says it’s _Lily,_ which is more than a surprise because Emma hasn’t seen her since October last year. She stammers for a few seconds but then tells the doorman that Lily can come up.

She draws in a long breath, feeling her heart quicken by the notion that her ex-girlfriend is coming here right now. _To do what?_ Ugh. Her life only gets messier and more confused by the second.

When there is a knock on the door, Emma plasters her best poker face and opens it to find Lily with a hesitant smile on her face, carrying a brown paper bag along with a handbag.

“Hi, Emma! How are you?”

The blonde narrows her eyes at her ex-girlfriend’s chirpy tone. “I’m great. What… what are you doing here?”

“Oh, right… I’m sorry to disturb you.” Lily gives her a half-smile. “I had to come to this part of town to visit some friends, and I thought I could stop by and leave this here,” Lily explains, handing the paper bag to Emma.

“What is this?”

“Your sweater. I’m sorry I kept it for so long. I guess I just forgot about it.”

Emma slowly nods at the answer, finding all of it so unnecessary. She didn’t even remember she had this sweater, to be honest.

“I figured if you weren’t at home when I stopped by, I’d just leave it with your doorman. But I’m glad you are!” She exclaimed with excitement and Emma blocked the urge to cringe at it.

Their breakup hadn’t been good. A few months beforehand, Emma realized that their relationship was becoming a little indifferent, but she believed it was just a phase until the inevitable moment arrived and Lily exploded, saying she wasn’t happy anymore and that she had met someone else. Her words cut Emma’s heart like a knife. When Lily eventually left, Emma felt like her world was falling apart — all her dreams were shattered, turned to dust before her eyes. And now Lily is here, a year later, coming back to deliver a sweater that Emma couldn’t even remember? _Ugh_. So unnecessary. 

“Emma, can I use your bathroom real quick?” Lily has the _audacity_ to ask, but Emma — being the good person that she is — lets her, obviously.

“Yes, of course!”

The good part is that soon Lily will be gone again and Emma will go back to the TV show.

Lily grimaces. “I’m sorry, but I really can’t hold it until I get home.”

“It’s alright. It’s in my bedroom, through that door.” She gestures to the door and when it closes, she releases a huff.

Her life can be really weird sometimes and very unpredictable in some ways. While she’s waiting for Lily to finish, there’s a firm knock on the front door that startles her immediately. Who the fuck could it be? And why didn’t the doorman call her first?

Puffing out angry breaths, Emma walks towards the door and looks through the peephole. Emma is expecting anyone — literally anyone — but Regina Mills. 

Her heart races in her chest as her mouth dries up at the narrow sight of the woman who didn’t come back for her yesterday… but now it is _here_. At that moment, Emma has no idea what to say or how to react, but her body moves on its own accord to open the door and see if Regina is really there. 

As soon as the door is wide open, the sweet and powerful combination of the woman’s fragrance fills Emma’s nostrils, making her lightheaded as she realizes that Regina is really here. _Oh, God._

Despite being beautifully dressed from head to toe, Regina has a remorseful look on her face and a tight-lipped smile. For some long seconds, Emma can only bore her eyes into those intense brown ones, feeling her heart plummeting so loudly against her ribcage that she can hear it in her ears. At least she hopes that Regina can’t hear it and thinks she is _pathetic_ for feeling so much for someone who doesn’t want anything with her. However, Regina is _here._ If she’s here, it must mean something. And she looks downcast, yet hopeful and afraid all at the same time. Emma just doesn’t know what to think.

“Wh-what are you doing here? How did you find my address?” She asks, unbeknownst of how to act as she stares at the other woman and waits for her response.

“I… I came here to talk to you and… Mulan gave me the address when I went to the precinct today looking for you.”

“Mu-Mulan? Why?”

“Because I needed to see you, Emma. You left so abruptly last night that I didn’t know what to do-”

“I left because you _seduced_ me instead of talking about what I wanted to know,” Emma remarks bitterly, her eyes flashing with hurt despite her surprise at seeing Regina here.

Regina looks hurt too, somehow, and that makes her heart sting for a whole new different reason.

“I need to apologize for-”

“Emms, your new apartment is just great, I’m-” Lily stops talking the minute she comes out of the suite and faces the other woman present. “Oh, wow.”

“Oh,” Regina mutters, suddenly looking forlorn. “I didn’t know you had company.” 

It all happens in a matter of seconds: Regina looks incredibly hurt with Lily there and her eyes start shimmering. Emma wants to say something but is unable to. The room is filled with silence until Regina turns away to leave, but Emma holds her wrist out of impulse.

“No,” she says, receiving a tingling feeling with her hand touching Regina’s warm skin.

Their eyes connect and they stare at each other, emerald eyes falling into hazel-brown in a way she can’t pull away. The only thing Emma wants to do is pull Regina into her arms and hold her there, never letting go.

However, the moment is interrupted by Lily’s voice:

“Holy shit!” Lily exclaims, her eyes wide and a hand on her forehead as she approaches them. “You’re… you’re Regina Mills!” Lily exasperates, pointing to the brunette, her eyes fixated exclusively on her. “Oh, my God! You’re Regina Mills, from the show _Once Upon An Evil Queen_ , right?” She asks with excitement.

Emma glances at Regina, realizing her expressions have completely changed: she looks scared, eyes worried and brows furrowed. Her wrist is pulled away from Emma’s hand suddenly as if the touch was unwelcome.

“I’m… I’m sorry, I just… oh, my God!” Lily continues, looking between Emma and Regina alternately. “Emma, how is _Regina Mills_ in your apartment?” She emphasizes. “Holy shit!”

Emma has no idea how to answer that question. She searches for something in her head, willing to say something, but Regina beats her when she clears her throat and takes a few steps closer to Lily:

“Hi, I’m Regina Mills,” she says, extending her hand to Lily. “I’m sorry to bother you and Miss Swan. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

They’re back to _Miss Swan_ now, huh?

“ _Oh_ ,” Lily mutters a little baffled while staring at their locked hands. “It’s okay, wow, I’m Lily — Emma’s ex-girlfriend.”

Emma visibly cringes at that. Her two divergent worlds are colliding right now and the only thing she wants is to be _over_ ; for Lily to go back to her new girlfriend and never come back.

“Oh,” Regina mutters, glancing at Emma briefly and lets go of the _ex-girlfriend’s_ hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want-”

“Regina, it’s not-” Emma starts saying, but is quickly interrupted by Lily’s enthusiastic voice:

“Oh, my God, don’t say you’re sorry! _Wow_ , I just… can’t believe it you’re here in front of me. My girlfriend will be ecstatic when I tell her!”

Emma rolls her eyes at that, noticing she’s still bitter about it, but overall doesn’t care. She just wants to be alone with Regina right now. Lily shouldn’t even be here. 

Regina straightens after that, her posture and attitude becoming more confident. “Is your girlfriend a fan of the show?”

“Yes, very much! She made me watch it and I loved it!” Lily grins, seeming more excited by the minute.

Regina nods slowly, smiling at her genuinely, but soon the smile disappears when she glances at Emma. Lily doesn’t seem to notice the awkward tension between the two women, and continues with her unfortunate questions:

“Sorry to ask, but why are you here? Do you guys know each other? Emma, you never told me you knew a famous actress!” Her ex-girlfriend scolds.

Emma scratches the back of her head, furrowing her eyebrows. “We, um, we met-”

“I’m interviewing Emma about the day-to-day life of a detective,” Regina interjects with a certain tremble to her voice. “For a movie, of course. She… that’s how we met: at the precinct she works at.” Emma narrows her eyes at Regina, not liking the lie one bit. Why didn’t she tell the truth? Emma _hates_ lies.

“Oh,” Lily mutters, still bright with profound happiness. “That’s so cool, Emma! You have enough prowess to be interviewed by actors! That’s amazing!” The woman preaches.

Emma smiles faintly at her ex-girlfriend, taking the compliment, but still wanting deep down for Lily to be gone. She has other matters to take care of.

“So, you’ve become friends, at least, right?” Lily asks. “This is so cool!”

She glances at Regina again, noticing how scared the brunette still looks — probably because she wasn’t expecting to find someone who recognizes her in Emma’s apartment, so she must be feeling unprepared right now. Regina _should_ like being recognized by a fan, but there’s much Emma doesn’t know about her, so she can’t assume what she’s feeling. Besides, she’s here right now and she has come to explain everything to Emma, it seems. Even though she is still _pissed_ at Regina for lying to her about being an actress, about leaving her with just a note and about yesterday too, when she pretended sex was more important than serious conversations, now that Regina is here _,_ Emma can’t help wanting to _know_ the whole truth for once and for all.

“Lily, I have to talk to Regina,” she blurts out without thinking twice. “We have to sort, uh, the matters of being a detective. Can we catch up another day?”

Lily’s smile falters slowly as she looks at them both alternately. She looks suspicious all of a sudden and Emma is aware of how good Lily is at reading people and discovering their secrets.

“Oh… okay, that’s okay.” She gives them a fake smile, then focuses solemnly on Regina. “Can you just… give me an autograph? I know my girlfriend would be very happy because of it!”

“Yes, sure!” Regina smiles shortly, grasping the notepad Lily gives her from her purse. “What’s her name?”

“Marian,” Lily replies and Regina starts autographing her name to then write ‘ _For Marian’_ with a heart beside it. Emma gets a tingling feeling in her stomach at the view and she feels a bit less angry at Regina for lying. She must have a really good reason for it, anyway. “Thank you, Regina! This is really amazing!” Lily thanks with a grin that is retributed by Regina.

“No problem! I hope she likes it.”

“No doubt she will! And thank you Emma for letting me use your bathroom. See you around!”

“Bye,” Emma mutters with a wave, closing the door after Lily. When she turns around, she is face to face with a wide-eyed Regina, who’s staring at the door as if it will destroy her whole life. Her eyes are shimmering with unshed tears and her hand quickly moves to cover her mouth. Emma frowns at the unusual reaction, her heart tightening in her chest. She doesn’t understand what’s going on and she’s fucking worried now. Why is Regina about to cry?

“Oh, my God, Emma,” Regina mutters under her breath, starting to pace the small living room with her hand now covering her forehead in a worrisome manner. “Oh, my God…”

“Regina?” She asks, already taking a few cautious steps closer. “Are you okay?” Emma reaches out to touch the brunette’s arm, but refrains from it at the last second, wanting to keep whatever this is between them without wandering touches.

“I… I shouldn’t have come here unannounced.”

There’s a pang of hurt in her heart at the sudden confession and she feels her face harden upon looking at Regina’s confused and lost expression.

“Well, if you didn’t want to come-” she starts to say irritated, but Regina interrupts her:

“It’s hard for me to be here, Emma. Really, _really_ hard,” the brunette points out, which just confuses Emma even more. “If I was scared before, now I’m about to burst with anxiety. I didn’t know you had someone over, I-”

“Regina, you’re not making any sense! You met Lily by coincidence here and she’s just a fan! What’s the problem with that?”

Regina takes a step closer, looking exasperated as she points a finger to Emma. “The _problem_ is that she recognized me and saw me with _you_. By now, she’s probably assuming there’s _something_ between us and will share with whomever she wants.”

Emma bristles at that. “Oh, so you don’t want to be seen with me? That’s what this is all about?” Her eyes flare with betrayal and hurt, but she ends up deeply confused when Regina looks at her like she has grown two heads. 

“No!” Regina quickly denies it. “No, it’s not _you,_ Emma. It's… I can’t be with a woman. _Any_ woman,” she confesses with an aggrieved sigh. 

The blonde’s forehead creases. “What do you mean?”

“Emma, I can’t _date_ a woman,” Regina explains, gesturing her hands impatiently. “I can’t be _gay._ ”

She feels a headache coming just by the way she’s increasing her frown. “What? Of course, you can be gay! We’re born this way, we-”

Regina releases a dry laugh as she rests her back against the wall. “You don’t understand.”

“I am trying to, Regina, but you’re not making any sense!” She exasperates, watching as Regina looks down at her feet and crosses her arms over her chest in a defensive manner. But she doesn’t say anything else, so Emma takes another step towards her and leans her hand on the wall a good distance from the brunette because she doesn’t want to be too close to losing control. “Okay, let me explain to you how I feel about all of this — about _us.”_ Regina finally looks up and meets her eyes, but her arms remain crossed over her chest. “I won’t lie and say that I wasn’t hurt by what you did on the island,” she says. “And I guess you already gathered that from the way I treated you at the interview yesterday. I’m still hurt and I would really like to know _why_ you didn’t tell me the truth, why you left me that note and why you couldn’t just say goodbye like a normal person. I wasn’t expecting that note _at all._ I was actually expecting to see you later that day in the Maldives and, instead, I got myself that ugly note.”

Regina swallows, glancing sideways to avoid emerald eyes, but soon they’re back again when Emma continues:

“Seeing you at the precinct yesterday, and then going to your house has hurt me even more. Yesterday I thought you were going to explain everything to me, because, otherwise, why would I have gone there? But you tried to seduce me and I got angry again because I didn’t want to be used by you and receive a note afterwards _again_ -”

“I wasn’t going to do that.”

Emma inhales sharply. “I didn’t know that, so that’s why I ran away. I didn’t want to be hurt again.”

“Emma, it’s not easy for me to talk about this,” Regina says. “It’s something I’ve been working on with myself, but it gets harder every day.” 

Those words feel like a knife penetrating Emma’s heart. Regina looks so sad and so scared; her shoulders are tense and her arms are still protecting her midsection. She is looking ahead, eyes glossy and lost. It gets worse when one single tear runs down her face and she closes her eyes, angrily wiping it off. The only thing that Emma wants to do is to comfort her, to make her feel better somehow and it doesn’t matter if she is close enough to lose control. She just wants Regina to smile, to be happy.

“Come here,” she says, left arm extending to haltingly undo the lace of Regina’s arms. The brunette stares at her wearily but lets herself be pulled closer. Emma wraps her arms around Regina’s midsection, noticing how tense the woman is. It takes a few minutes for her to loosen up and she deliberately drapes her arms around Emma’s neck. At that moment, Emma’s arms squeeze a fraction tighter and Regina exhales, her body melting into Emma’s as every muscle in their bodies loses its tension to the spring air. Despite the heaviness in her stomach, it flutters at the feeling of the body pressed against hers. Emma bathes in the warmth and the smell of freshly laundered clothes and perfume, feeling Regina sinking into her even more, seeming appreciative of the gesture. 

This embrace is stronger than anything Emma has ever known. She’s not just holding Regina in her arms — she is pulling her so tightly against her body that she’s able to feel every ounce of Regina against herself. In that moment of feeling the woman so close, Emma is awake somehow, more alive and content than she has been in so very long.

Regina threads her hands through blonde hair and Emma feels goosebumps appear on her skin. Then, Regina rests her head on the curve of Emma’s neck and stays that way for a while; sniffing back unshed tears and just breathing in the scent of the blonde’s body.

After what feels like hours later of them just embracing in the middle of her living room, Regina starts talking again in a low, moderated voice, without unwrapping their bodies:

“Emma, I swear I didn’t want to leave you like that. I travelled to the Maldives alone because I didn’t want anyone bothering me or telling me what to do. I just wanted to have some peace with myself and my thoughts. It was the beginning of the new year and I just wanted to accept myself somehow. It was my first resolution.” She exhales, the action tickling the skin of Emma’s neck. “Meeting you wasn’t in my plans. That night at the bar, you were the only woman to hit on me. I sent away all the annoying men, but I confess I was really taken aback when a gorgeous woman like you started hitting on me.”

Emma chuckles at that, feeling her heart soar and butterflies to cause havoc in her stomach.

“I didn’t know how to react at first, and then I made up an excuse to leave and clear my thoughts. Even though it was tempting, I had to remind myself that I wasn’t there to hook up with anyone. I was there to find myself and accept whomever I decided to be. But we found each other again and I just… I wanted you the second I laid my eyes on you.”

Emma resists the urge to kiss Regina right then, not wanting to interrupt whatever else she is going to say. Instead, she caresses her back gently, sliding her hands on her back, feeling the softness of her silky, burgundy blouse.

“We kissed that day and right then I knew that I had to enjoy the time I had left on the island with you, damn everyone else and my fearful thoughts. We had so much fun together, everything felt so authentic and I started feeling like myself after so long behind shackles.” Emma tightens her arms around Regina (if that’s even possible), willing to make her feel safe and comforted at all costs and incite that she doesn’t want to let go. “Even though I was blind by all the fun I was having with you, I knew from the beginning that I was going to leave on Friday. It had been scheduled since the start of my trip. But I met you, Emma, and suddenly I didn’t want to come back to the real world. Although, deep down, I knew it was impossible. I knew that I couldn’t date a woman. I already risked too much walking around with you on the island, expecting no one to see us together. I swear I wanted to connect with you. I swear, but I… I couldn’t. It would just make it harder for me to leave later. That’s why I didn’t tell you my whole name, tell you about my life, where I lived… or _anything_ like that.”

Regina takes a deep breath and undoes the embrace, but doesn’t go too far — she clasps her hands on each side of Emma’s face and looks deeply into her eyes.

“And then the biggest coincidence in my life happened. You… I saw you again at the precinct and I couldn’t understand _how_. Things like this don’t usually happen in real life. Maybe in a romantic comedy, but no, not in real life. Not in _my_ life. But then, I knew it had to mean something. It was an impressive coincidence for me not to act on it somehow, even if I was so scared of the consequences.”

Emma pulls Regina to her again, maintaining her hands around her waist, not wanting to be too far one inch.

“Regina… there’s no need to be scared. You _can_ be with a woman because that’s who you are. You can’t let people’s judgement get in your head,” Emma says, trying to tie back those unsure thoughts in the other woman’s head.

Emma knows that it can be extremely hard for people to accept and love themselves _._ Many people struggle with that for years and years. Emma, on the contrary, had been blessed to believe in herself so quickly and accept that she is only attracted to women. Having no parents while growing up felt easy somehow because she didn’t have to come out to them and be scared shitless to be thrown out of the house. She became the owner of herself after turning eighteen and threw all insecurities to the dumpster. She managed to succeed in life and she’s really proud of herself. Being a lesbian doesn’t even compare to all the accomplishments she achieved. But with Regina, she has no idea if her parents, relatives and friends know about her sexuality, for that matter.

“I wish it was that simple, Emma, but Hollywood is much more complex than that.”

“I know it can be hard, Regina. But if you’re unhappy lying to your fans, to your family, your audience, and _fucking_ Hollywood, you should come out. You can’t be unhappy with yourself either. You have to be open to… to love,” she stammers out, feeling her cheeks heat up from saying the ‘L’ word.

Regina releases a weary sigh, pulling completely away from Emma to sit on the beige couch placed in front of the TV. If the brunette weren’t so distressed, Emma would appreciate more of the sight of her right here, feeling comfortable in Emma’s apartment. She had had a dream once with Regina here and now it is… well, sort of coming true? 

“I’ve been trying,” Regina says, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “My sister has been encouraging me to do it, but my agent thinks I shouldn’t yet.”

Emma frowns, approaching the couch to sit beside the brunette tentatively. “What? Come out?”

“Yes,” Regina responds hesitantly. “That’s why I’ve been going to events with a sort of fake boyfriend.” 

Emma’s eyes go-round with surprise. “Fake boyfriend?”

“He goes to some events with me sometimes, and people have started to speculate that we are dating. My agent said I should throw hints on social media about it, but I just can’t find the courage to do it. I hate faking it. It makes me feel _awful.”_

Emma nods slowly, gritting her teeth at the thought of Regina being an arm-candy around some guy in front of the paparazzi. She’s jealous again, oh _she is,_ but she controls her feelings and asks, “Why does your agent want you to keep lying? Why is it so horrible if you come out?”

Regina inhales deeply. “It’s not just her. I’m _scared_ to come out. I’m scared to not be considered for future roles just because I’m… I’m…” the brunette huffs, seeming incapable of saying what she is, of accepting herself out loud. Emma had never seen Regina as vulnerable as she is at that moment, and it rugs at her heartstrings. Some people just have a harder time with a lot of baggage going on around them. The fact that Regina can’t accept herself worries Emma to a level that it might sound selfish when she feels like she will eventually be kicked out to the curb, left to mend back her broken heart once again. If Regina doesn’t know what she wants, how can Emma hope for a future with her?

The ‘Gina’ she met in the Maldives was a totally different person: much more confident, free-spirited, despite being a bit guarded. Today, Emma can’t say that she isn’t scared about the path this… _thing_ between them will take.

“Regina?” Emma softly calls, grasping the brunette’s anxious fingers. “If you can’t accept yourself first, you can’t come out. You have to come out to yourself and be open about all your feelings to yourself _first_.” The brunette looks attentively at Emma, seeming to take in everything she is saying. “You don’t need to do everything at once. You have to take your own time and be honest with yourself. It’s what matters most.”

Emma doesn’t know what Regina is thinking right now. The only thing she knows is that she wants to make Regina feel better, send away those fears of hers and make her feel _loved_ without spooking her. From all the things Emma imagined Regina would do right now, it was definitely not a kiss. Plump lips meet hers unexpectedly and Emma doesn’t hesitate in kissing back. This kiss feels nothing like yesterday because then, she didn’t know anything about Regina. But today, she knows so much that all the confessions are still weighing down in her heart.

Regina moves on the couch, straddling Emma’s hips just like she used to do on the island, causing the blonde’s heart to flutter happily at the memory. Regina guides Emma’s hand to her hip before setting her own on either side of Emma’s jaw and begging entrance into her mouth, tongue swiping her lower lip in that erotic way that leaves Emma in a mess of arousal. They moan simultaneously as Regina sweeps her warm tongue into her mouth, tasting her with passion, her body moving to get more of Emma’s against hers.

Those erotic dreams she had of this woman come back to her like a flashback and, suddenly, all Emma wants to do is to take Regina right here and make her writhe, moan, come undone in her mouth. However, she doesn’t want to get ahead of herself. She still doesn’t know how Regina feels about being with her again, or if she’ll eventually decide she doesn’t want to be in a serious relationship with a woman and leave Emma hanging.

That’s why she breaks the kiss and rests her forehead against Regina’s, gathering some much-needed oxygen before asking, “Regina, are you sure about… about this?”

The brunette nods hastily, thighs tightening on each side of Emma’s body, not wanting to let go. “The only thing that I know right now is that I want you, Emma.”

Those words send a wave of butterflies coursing through her veins, their fluttering wings easing the dread and anxiety that had settled inside her. Emma inhales deeply, sucking in Regina’s intoxicating scent that instantly makes her more lightheaded with love and arousal. If Regina is sure of this, of what she wants right now, it is enough for Emma, who can’t hold herself anymore.

She combs her hand through Regina’s hair, loving the softness within, watching as it tumbles beautifully when she releases it. Her hand moves to Regina’s cheekbones and then to her parted lips, able to feel her shallow breathing. With a grin, Emma pushes Regina to lay on her back against the couch and moves to kneel on the floor, parting the brunette’s legs to stand in between them. The look of desire on Regina's face is so enthralling it is practically tangible. Her eyes are dark with lust, pupils are blown wide, and Emma shivers at the sight, knees weakening despite herself. Their eyes keep locked onto each other for a moment longer, just enough for them to feel safe with one another due to what’s about to happen.

Then, Emma is all business: she starts undoing Regina’s jeans, pulling them off while pressing kisses on the exposed skin of her legs, her hands wandering always a little higher than her lips. Regina’s back arch in anticipation, knowing where Emma’s fingers will soon reach. 

Instead of just diving into what she wants most, Emma decides to worship the other woman more because she sure deserves to know that she is _beyond_ amazing. Straddling her hips, Emma’s hands move to undo the buttons of Regina’s burgundy, silk blouse. The brunette is staring at her with her bottom lip between her teeth, chest heaving and eyes dark with desire. Soon, she is face to face with Regina’s breasts encased in a black, lacy bra, and her first instinct is to grope them and bite the exposed skin the bra isn’t covering. The brunette gasps, fingers entangling in blonde hair a second later. 

Between open-mouthed kisses on Regina’s clavicle and neck, Emma feels the sudden urge to say something; to express all she feels somehow:

“You know, there wasn’t a moment when you _weren’t_ in my mind these past two months, Regina,” she starts, mouth murmuring close enough to the brunette’s ear. “The first night I met you, I looked into your eyes for just a brief moment and realized how they had a different glow in them.” Emma pauses to look into brown eyes, leaning her elbow beside Regina’s head while her other hand traces up and down Regina’s bare stomach, reaching her lacy panties, causing the woman to shiver. “Memories of our first night together invade my mind whenever I close my eyes. I still vividly remember how every touch and each word spoken, something ascended within me. I remember my fingers tracing warm trails on your back down your body, your mouth sliding against my neck. The taste of Prosecco and wine present in every kiss… your body glued to mine that felt like the perfect fit from the start.” Emma hears Regina's sharp intake of breath as her fingers slide under her panties. 

“ _Fuck,_ Emma, I couldn’t forget you even if I wanted to,” a wanton moan escapes Regina’s lips, which immediately drives Emma to action. She unwraps herself from Regina, moving to kneel on the floor between the other woman’s legs. With deft fingers, Emma slides the lingerie down Regina's legs and her fingers quickly back up, drawing teasing lines up and down her sex until the other woman is squirming underneath her. Then, she leans over the woman and licks her soaked sex, tongue laving over her sensitive, throbbing clit and watches as Regina’s back arches off of the mattress once again and her hands grasp at the pillows, nails digging in hard as Emma continues to lick over her clit relentlessly.

To say that she missed this, missed _Regina_ , would clearly be an overstatement. Being with this woman feels like the world is right, feels like she belongs, it feels overwhelmingly _good._ It might sound cliché, but Emma never felt so lucky to have a woman like Regina back in her arms again.

The way Regina’s fingers pull at Emma's hair drives her insane with more arousal, urging her in closer, silently begging for her to lick over her again and again — and that’s what Emma does until the brunette comes undone with a loud moan escaping her lips, eyes closed as her body arches beautifully off of the couch, body shivering with the powerful orgasm.

Emma moves instantly after to kiss Regina on the lips, wanting the brunette to taste herself in her mouth. Regina groans against her lips and says, “God, Emma, I’ve missed you so much.”

“Yeah?” Emma asks with a foolish smile, feeling her entire body tingle with happiness upon hearing those words that, right now, means everything to her.

* * *

♬

_'Cause I don't wanna fall in love_

_If you don't wanna try_

_But all that I've been thinking of_

_Is maybe that you might_

— Jessie Ware

Emma wakes up to the sound of her vibrating phone under her pillow, unwilling to open her eyes since the warmth coming from the body on top of hers is tempting enough not to make her leave this bed _ever_ again. Despite not wanting to pick up, her phone keeps vibrating and she eventually grabs it, realizing it’s Ruby. Before the picks up, Emma reluctantly disentangles her body off of Regina’s, wraps a robe around her naked form and tiptoes her way out of her bedroom, heading to the living room to sit on the couch and speak without fear of waking up the brunette sleeping so peacefully in her bedroom.

“Hi!” She says as soon as she picks up the phone, feeling a yawn coming right after. It’s just barely after 6 p.m. and she’s already hungry for some dinner.

 _“Blondie, it took you way too long to pick up, huh!”_ Ruby says with a hint of a smile. _“Were you having lots of sex with your girl?”_

Emma grins broadly, closing her eyes as recent memories of Regina fucking her just 2 hours ago invade her mind. “We talked a lot beforehand, okay?” She defends with a roll of her eyes. “And then we… we had fun with each other.” She hears Ruby and Belle laughing hysterically on the other side of the phone.

“Oh, _yes!”_ Ruby makes a moaning sound. “We knew you two would work it out. The girls and I sent over some stuff to you guys. We hope you like it!”

“What did you send me?” Emma curiously asks. Right at that moment, the doorbell rings. “Oh, shit, I guess it’s here!”

_“Yay! Have a wonderful date night with Regina, then! We’ll be here if you need us.”_

Emma opens the door and receives one pizza box and a bag with other things inside from the doorman. Instantly she feels her heart inflating with more love for her best friends. “Oh, you guys! Thank you so much. You’re awesome!”

_“Enjoy, blondie! Big kisses from us.”_

“I love you!”

Emma is grinning so widely her cheeks are hurting. She has the best friends in the whole world, that’s for sure. After placing the box and the bag on the wooden table, Emma heads back to her bedroom, ready to wake Regina up so they can eat. However, the sight of the brunette laying on her stomach and with her naked back exposed to the room air makes her stop at the appealing sight, her mind going back to the dreams she had with Regina in her bed. Right at that moment, Emma wants to take a picture of it and commit it to memory, or even send it to the group chat with her friends. But of course, she won’t do that. She wouldn’t risk exposing Regina like this without her consent.

Feeling her arousal increase because of what she is seeing, Emma throws her robe back against the armchair in the corner and carefully crawls on the bed, legs on each side of Regina’s motionless body. Emma starts placing open-mouthed kisses on the warm, exposed back as her right-hand caresses the soft skin of Regina’s arm. The brunette is sleeping soundly, so Emma guesses it will take more than a few simple kisses to wake her up.

Instead of just placing kisses, Emma starts biting teasingly on the flesh, her lips going up to find Regina’s neck, where she licks and nibbles, watching as goosebumps form on the beautiful olive skin and the brunette finally stirs. A happy groan escapes her plump lips and Emma chuckles, pulling the black hair away to look at those beautiful eyes opening up.

“Are you hungry?” Emma asks just as Regina releases a contented sigh, slowly turning around to face the blonde. Her boobs come into view and emerald eyes are quickly drawn to them, wanting nothing more than to worship those delicious nipples once again.

“I see _you_ are hungry for something,” Regina teases, her hands moving to touch her bouncy breasts in front of attentive emerald eyes.

“Well, fuck,” Emma mutters, incapable of diverting her eyes.

Regina’s sudden laugh feels like it lit her soul on fire, her love for this woman expanding even more just by that sudden reaction. She smiles back at the brunette, leaning closer to capture those enticing lips in a brief kiss that leaves her wanting for more, but right now, she decides they should enjoy the food that was sent to them. 

“My friends sent us pizza and chocolate!” Emma says excitedly, tangling her hands with Regina’s to pull her out of bed.

“ _Oh_ ,” she murmurs with surprise. “They’re so damn nice. Your friends are amazing, Emma.”

“I know.” Emma puts her robe back on and then walks in the small closet to retrieve a large, baggy t-shirt for Gina to wear. “Here you go,” she says, placing the shirt in Regina’s hand and watching as the woman puts it on. The sight of Regina wearing her ordinary clothes is something Emma won’t ever forget. She looks even more beautiful now. 

They get to the kitchen and sit in front of one another on the chairs around the wooden table. Emma quickly unfolds the pizza box and the smell of tomatoes and basil invades the room. She immediately hears her stomach gurgling in hunger.

“How long did we sleep?” Regina asks, fingers dipping into the box to grab herself a slice.

“I think it was about two hours. Did you sleep well?”

Regina looks at her knowingly and grins lasciviously. “More than well, dear.” They take the first few bites of the pizza as a comfortable silence settles between them. When Emma is about to grab another slice, Regina breaks the silence with a question, “Emma, how did you find out I was an actress?”

A blush creeps on Emma’s cheeks as she is reminded of that eventful day. “Would you believe it if I told you it was a huge coincidence too?”

Regina’s eyes widen, a disbelieving expression forming on her face. “Another coincidence? How?”

Emma smiles. “I was at the gym running on the treadmill and watching TV at the same time. Then, a trailer from _Once Upon An Evil Queen_ started and there you were, dressed as a witch.”

Regina covers her mouth as she laughs, eyes tingling at the sides of joy. “I can’t believe this.”

“Well, that trailer almost caused me an injury because I almost lost my balance on the treadmill,” Emma states, her eyes projecting mirth.

“And then you looked me up online?”

The blonde nods. “I sure did. I also sent a picture of you dressed as the Evil Queen to my friends’ group chat and Ruby asked if you were dressed for _Halloween_ , so… the experience of discovering it all was slightly traumatic.” Regina cackles once again and Emma laughs with her.

When her laughter dies down, a slight grimace forms on her face. “I’m sorry you had to find out like that. I wish I had chosen things differently.”

Emma tangles their fingers together over the table. “You gave me plenty of reasons why you acted that way and I understand you. Now, you have to choose things at your own pace. You decide what you want to do, okay?” she ensures, bringing the brunette’s knuckles to her lips. “I’m here for you.”

Regina’s lips twitch into a smile. “Thank you. So, uh... Emma, I feel like this is the right moment to say that my flight back to LA is tomorrow morning,” the brunette says, eyes turning apologetic. “I wish I could postpone it, but my audition for the detective role is on Friday and I have to prepare.”

Emma swallows the lump that has suddenly formed in her throat. It is clear that she doesn’t want Regina to leave, but she can’t also make her stay. She has another life in another city and Emma can’t ruin that in _any_ way by being selfish.

“Oh… okay,” she says, feeling her heart tighten in her chest as her stomach becomes uneasy all of a sudden. Despite the feeling, she asks, voice wavering, “So… that’s it? You leave and we… we won’t see each other again?”

The blonde notices as Regina visibly swallows and avoids her eyes. Emma knows it’s very difficult for her, but she needs to know if something _serious_ will come out of this. 

“It doesn’t have to be that way if you don’t want to,” Regina says and Emma feels hope burst inside her again.

“What do you mean?”

“You could come to visit me one weekend if you want to,” the brunette suggests with a casual shrug and a small smile gracing her lips.

“Really?” Emma asks, feeling her mood turning brighter and brighter.

“Yeah. I could present you to my friends, show you what I do in LA. I’d give you a sneak peek of my life.”

“Just a sneak peek?” Emma wonders out loud, blushing right after, despite knowing deep down that she won’t just want a sneak peek. She wants the whole deal if Regina is up for it.

“Well, you might find it too crazy to like it,” the brunette answers with another shrug.

“All the coincidences we’ve been through have given me armour against finding anything else crazy, believe me.”

Regina laughs, carefree. “You might have a point, dear.”

Emma sighs wistfully, using her fingers to caress Regina’s knuckles. “So, I will ask Captain Nolan for some days off during one weekend, then.”

“Yes, please do that. And maybe your friend Mulan could cover for you?”

Emma smiles at the suggestion. “Yeah, I’ll definitely ask her.”

After that, they continue eating their slices of pizza, both seeming very happy with one another to have talked about something so significant to their future. Emma is beyond happy now, knowing that Regina doesn’t want to disappear again out of fear. Now, she just hopes the brunette doesn’t change her mind when she goes back to Los Angeles.

“So, you mentioned that you need to prepare for your audition?” Emma asks, starting conversation once again.

“Yeah, I need to study the character more because I didn’t have the time here with so much going on,” Regina answers, eyebrows arching knowingly, which erupts a grin from Emma.

“You didn’t get the interview you were hoping for?” She teases, daring Regina to tell her how their interview didn’t do much for the study of her character.

Regina smiles. “I got way more than I was expecting, to be honest. But not everything is usable to my character.” She winks, causing Emma to laugh.

“You didn’t have another interview with Mulan today?”

“Oh, Mulan was too focused on sending me here to talk to you, so… we didn’t have time.”

Emma laughs again, shaking her head from side to side imagining Mulan acting all crazy and unpredictably when Regina appeared at the precinct earlier.

“You know what? If you want, I could teach you some things.”

“Yeah? Teach me what?” The brunette asks with interest.

Emma smiles, placing her hand under her chin to stare at Regina. “Teach you how to tackle a criminal properly, or… how to use handcuffs.”

The brunette mimics her hand’s movement, leaning closer on her elbow to smirk at Emma. “Well, it might help me a lot later _if_ I get the part.”

“What’s your character like?”

Regina makes a pout. “I can’t tell you.”

“Hm,” Emma mutters while in her head she’s imagining many different ways to make Regina tell her more, just for fun. “Anyway, would you like to learn a bit about what I do in the field?”

“All right, let’s see it,” Regina says, looking at her with a challenging expression that only makes Emma feel more aroused.

“I’ll go grab the handcuffs,” she says, rising from the chair to walk in her bedroom. Emma washes her hands first in the bathroom, then grabs the handcuffs and goes back to the living room. “All right, here we go!” Emma says, stopping in front of Regina and looking at her with mirth. 

Regina still has that challenging look on her face that makes Emma warm between her legs because she sure _loves_ a challenge. And this woman is always intriguing her, challenging her in some way.

Emma clears her throat before starting, “This is an ordinary police handcuff. Before using it, you have to check if they’re stored in a loaded position, meaning that the shackle jaw should be pushed through the ratchet in the body of the cuff until it's almost through,” she says, moving the metal object in her hands to explain to Regina. “Once your suspect is restrained and with their hands behind their back, that’s how you lock it.” Emma does the movement of closing the handcuffs around nothing. “And always make sure to double lock.”

“Hmm,” Regina murmurs pensively with a hand under her chin. “Well, should I try handcuffing you now?” she asks, a teasing lilt in her voice that makes Emma _weak_ instantly, but she doesn’t waver. Regina is trying to provoke her and Emma won’t let her handcuff her _first._

“How about I do it on you and then you replay it on me?” She suggests and Regina sighs, raising her wrists together for Emma to handcuff, but the blonde shakes her head from side to side. “We’re doing it the _real_ way.”

Regina instantly gasps when Emma swirls her around and pushes her (gently) forward, making her front rest against the wall.

“You’re under arrest!” Emma announces, her voice commanding. “Put your hands behind your back!” She orders, watching as Regina slowly moves, seeming to be in some sort of trance. Emma touches Regina’s feet with her own, causing them to spring apart so the blonde can have the upper hand if the suspect tries to attack her. That’s what she always does, anyway. Then, she cuffs Regina’s hands behind her back, making sure the cuffs are not tightening her wrist because this is just… well, _acting_.

When Emma feels like it’s enough of _teaching,_ Regina suddenly surprises her when she says in a teasing voice, “What am I being arrested for, Detective?”

Without thinking twice, Emma leans her front against the brunette’s back as her mouth positions against Regina’s ear, “For being a hot piece of ass!”

Regina bursts out laughing, her body shaking against Emma’s and her head falling on her shoulder. “I can’t believe you said that,” she says, still laughing as Emma slowly undoes the cuffs around her wrists.

“Weak pick-up line, but the moment asked for it.” 

Regina is grinning brightly at her when she turns around in her arms, free-hands coming to lay behind Emma’s neck, their bodies pressing flush together in a delicious way Emma will never get tired of it.

“You should be arrested for being a hot piece of ass too, you know?” Regina says, placing a quick peck on thin lips. “I’ve never seen such a hot detective in my life,” her sexy voice says against Emma’s ear, making her groan as her arousal increases.

Emma grins, biting her lower lip in anticipation. “What you’re gonna do about it?”

Regina suddenly pushes Emma’s back against the wall, her hands finding the ties of Emma’s robe seconds later, undoing it to leave the blonde completely naked in her living room. “I’m going to make you forget that I ever left you in the first place.”

So, Regina does keep up to her promises because, for the next hours, Emma has completely forgotten how sad she felt when Regina left the island. The only thing she can think of is how the universe can be really _tricky_ sometimes, but in a good way because Emma has never felt so happy and worshiped in her whole life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well... Regina confessed everything, huh? Were you expecting that? Will Emma really visit Regina in LA? Is Regina going to overcome her fears of self-acceptance? I guess you'll have to see...
> 
> But tell me if you were EXPECTING it, please?


	9. She Is Paradisiac

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're a Lana Parrilla stan, I think you'll get a few references ;)
> 
> PS: this is heavily imaged.

♬

_While there is time_

_Let's go out and feel everything_

_If you hold me_

_I will let you into my dreams_

_For time is a river rolling into nowhere_

_We must live while we can_

_And we'll drink our cup of laughter_

— Steve Winwood

Her alarm blares out six in the morning, waking her up from the deep slumber that always takes over her when she’s with Regina. Their naked bodies are pressed fully against each other, limb to limb, deliciously warm and cozy and so loving. Just like on the island, Emma doesn’t want to leave that warmth. Doesn’t want Regina to go.

Despite the dreadful feeling that fills her whenever she imagines Regina leaving and never talking to her again, she remembers that they already talked about this and that’s what makes Emma hopeful that everything will be okay and soon they’ll be together again. Emma has to move along Regina’s pace, not pressure her into anything she doesn’t feel ready for… like a serious relationship. Emma will have to be patient and let the universe take care of them because it sure did until now. Those unpredictable coincidences will never be fully understood in her head, yet she is forever grateful for it. Was it written in the stars that she would meet Regina? Who knows! And now she’s just mistaking herself for a teenager that watches too many cliché movies. _Great._

“Good morning,” Regina mutters with a small smile, leaning in to press a kiss to blonde hair.

“Morning,” she responds, hands wandering under the sheets to cop a feel of the brunette. She will miss her so badly.

“I’m so sorry I have to leave today,” the brunette apologizes again, fingers caressing messy blonde curls.

“It’s okay. What we did yesterday is going to be in my mind for long weeks, so I won’t miss you too much, I guess,” Emma lies with a wink.

“That’s not accurate, dear. You’ll remember what we did yesterday and will want me to never leave,” Regina teasingly remarks, causing Emma to groan at the truth.

“Wow, you’re really optimistic, aren’t you?” Emma remarks back, clinging herself to Regina’s body so neither of them can move to get ready to leave.

Regardless of her desires, they eventually get out of bed and start getting ready: Emma for work and Regina to go back to her parents’ house to pack her stuff. Emma won’t go the airport with Regina because she has to work, and also because the brunette didn’t suggest it, which Emma thinks it’s because she’s scared of being caught with Emma by paparazzi or prying eyes, which is _okay._ Emma understands it.

After sharing a small mug of coffee together, they prepare to leave. It’s awkward, but not _entirely_ because they’ve talked so much and everything is normal between them now. They’re kinda… well, _dating,_ but Emma doesn’t risk saying that out loud. She sure doesn’t want to spook Regina. And now the worst part is happening: they will hug each other and say, ‘I’ll see you soon’ and Emma will be hurt, regardless of their future plans.

Regina suddenly throws her body against Emma’s, wrapping the blonde in a tight embrace that makes all the dread and uncertainty to go away. This embrace feels a lot like it did yesterday when Emma got to hear what was going on in Regina’s head; it feels so good, so _amazing_ to be wrapped up with someone you love.

“Please, ask your captain for a weekend break as soon as possible.”

“You want me _any_ weekend in LA?” Emma prompts, trying to lighten the mood. “Don’t you have plans in all of them?”

“I don’t know, I don’t… care. I just want to see you again as soon as possible,” Regina confesses, voice sounding slightly muffled because her face is laying in the crook of the blonde’s neck. Emma’s heart soars at that, tightening Regina in her arms in a manner that already feels familiar to her.

“All right, I will ask him today!” Emma agrees, pulling a few inches away to cup Regina’s cheek and look into those deepest pools of brown. “Have a safe flight home,” she says, using her thumb to caress the brunette’s cheek.

Emma gazes at Regina lovingly, watching as the latter’s eyes soften with tenderness before sparking with something else. Suddenly, Regina tilts her head to the side and kisses the blonde, her lips wet and demanding. Emma feels a smouldering heat deep within her as Regina’s grip tightens around her back, crushing her body to hers, gentle yet firm. Emma slants her head further, deepening the kiss, not wanting to let go, _never let go…_

Too soon, their lips part and Regina looks at her with her bottom lip between her teeth, seeming to wonder if she will _really_ leave at all after that arousing kiss.

“Tell me when you land in LA, okay?” Emma breaks the silence, voice breathless from the kiss that leaves her wanting for so much more.

Regina presses one last kiss to her lips and says, “I’ll miss you, Emma.”

And that’s the last thing she says before walking out the door.

* * *

♬

_I’ve been sad_

_And have walked bitter streets alone_

_And come morning_

_There's a good wind to blow me home_

_So time be a river rolling into nowhere_

_I will live while I can_

_I will have my ever after_

— Steve Winwood

Emma has been happy and chirpy for the past two days, which surprised Captain Nolan once and he didn’t hesitate to ask her what had happened. Well, if she was to compare her mood before she saw Regina at the precinct and then after they talked, for sure Emma looks happy and chirpy. Even though the brunette went back home to Los Angeles, Emma feels nothing but happiness that they’ve worked it out. Her friends have been teasing her constantly, texting non-stop on their group chat with old pictures of Regina that they found online or just a shot of the TV where they’re watching all the actress’s shows. Now they are allowed to do that, anyway, since Emma is not _broken-hearted_ anymore.

Besides, the best part of all of this is that the minute Regina landed in LA two days ago, she immediately texted Emma to tell her so and a conversation ensued after Emma asked her how her flight was:

Since then, when they weren’t busy, Emma and Regina kept texting each other non-stop, asking how their day had been, what they did. Emma told Regina all about the perps she caught and how difficult it was to get a confession out of one of them. And Regina told her how much she prepared for her audition, researching online for anything important she could find and also asking Emma anything about her job when a question erupted.

Emma could say that she was slightly surprised that this was happening between them. At first, she thought Regina would take her time away to think more about how she feels, or what to do. Emma honestly didn’t have much hope that Regina would want to see her again, after all, and as the days passed, she would only realize it had all been a mistake and leave Emma hanging. After everything they talked about, Emma still had to fight against her trust issues and be hopeful. However, when Regina immediately started texting her right on the same day she left, Emma’s insecurities almost left her completely. Her friends, as always, were very happy for her and Regina, regardless if there was no ‘official dating’ tag to them yet, the girls were just super content that everything had worked out for the better.

That Friday, Emma had to write some reports from a few cases she had forgotten, but her mind couldn’t focus very well because it kept going back to how Regina was doing, since today is her audition. She had wished ‘good luck’ first thing in the morning to the brunette before coming in to work and now it’s almost five and she hasn’t received any texts yet. Regina must have been really busy. With that in mind, as soon as Emma gets home from her shift that Friday, she texts Regina instantly after, already too eager to prevent herself from asking if the actress had gotten the part:

Emma feels slightly disappointed that the conversation stopped there, but she has to get ready for the party, anyway. After taking a long-awaited bath, Emma chooses a fancy outfit, puts some light makeup on and brushes her curly hair. Ten minutes later, Mulan is calling her and telling her to head downstairs. Despite having to work tomorrow morning, Emma hopes to have lots of fun and eat tons of food at this party. She’s excited about it, anyway. She loves Captain Nolan as if he were her father. He’s an admirable person, and so is his wife, Mary Margaret and his two sons Hugo and Oliver. They’re the perfect family and Emma is proud to be close to them.

On the way there, Mulan asks Emma how she’s been with Regina like she usually does, and Emma responds gratefully, telling her friend all the good stuff. If it weren’t for Mulan, maybe Regina wouldn’t have gone to Emma’s apartment and talked to her. Emma owns Mulan big time these days.

It’s Captain David Nolan’s 45th birthday, so it’s a huge, grandeur party. His wife is a party planner, so there’s that. There are many, many guests already there when Emma and Mulan walk in. The whole precinct, probably, which doesn’t bother Emma at all. It’s kind of nice to celebrate with everyone because certainly everyone _loves_ Captain Nolan.

Emma and Mulan quickly mingle among the guests at the party, talking to a few people here and there, but never parting away from each other because no one likes to wander alone in parties like this. They eventually find Captain Nolan and congratulate him, saying hi to the other members of his family too. The professional photographer takes pictures of them together, and soon the other detectives approach to scoot in. Emma takes the opportunity and asks their fellow detective, Graham, to take a picture of her and Mulan together so she can send it to Regina — who is alone at home right now, super tired, and Emma wants nothing but to talk to her and make her laugh somehow.

“You’re obsessed with that woman, aren’t you?” Mulan asks in a disbelieving voice, hands on her waist to provoke Emma.

“Can you blame me?” She remarks back, laughing when Mulan pokes her on the ribs playfully.

As her friend starts chatting with Graham, Emma unlocks her phone to send the photo to Regina:

The response is immediate, which brings a foolish grin to her lips:

God… that photo made Emma’s heart soar with more love and arousal formed between her legs. _Holy shit._ Regina is just so fucking beautiful. _Effortlessly_ beautiful, actually. Each day, Emma grows more in love with Regina Mills.

* * *

♬

_I find I spend my time_

_Waiting on your call_

_How can I tell you, babe_

_My back's against the wall_

_I need you by my side_

_To tell me it's alright_

_'Cause I don't think I can take anymore_

— Whitesnake

Every day, Emma and Regina text each other and not only with words, but with images too. Sometimes it’s just a photo of where they are, or what they’re doing, who they’re with… basically anything at all, which Emma completely _loves_ every second of it. It makes her feel closer to Regina and she daily thanks that the internet exists, because being in a ‘distance relationship’ would be much harder if it didn’t.

Every time Regina says something about LA or about Emma’s eventual visit, her body becomes a mess of anxious jitters, just anticipating to go and see the brunette again. Emma has asked Captain Nolan last Monday about it, and he said Graham had asked first for the whole weekend off and now she would have to wait and cover his. It sucked, but she understood. When she told Regina about it, the brunette sent her a selfie with the cutest pout face and Emma sent her one of herself too. If Emma’s friends were to see these texts (and unusual photos), they would surely make fun of her and tell her she looked like a sixteen-year-old in love. It’d be comical if it wasn’t true.

Right now, at 5 p.m. in the afternoon, Emma is at a bridal shop for Ruby’s last fitting of the dress she chose a few months ago among Elsa and Mulan (who hadn’t been able to refuse Ruby’s insistence for help). While Ruby is in the fitting room doing a few adjustments with Elsa and the saleswoman, Emma feels her phone vibrate and quickly pulls it out of her pocket to see who it is:

She instantly shows off the picture to Mulan, saying, “Look where I’m gooo-iiing,” she sing-songs playfully, wanting to tease because none of her friends have been there yet.

“Ugh, _be aware_ or I’ll buy a plane ticket too and tag along with you!” Mulan threatens, making Emma laugh.

“No, you won’t because you will cover my weekend for me.”

Mulan rolls her eyes, punching Emma playfully in the arm as Ruby and Elsa come out of the fitting room. They both stare at Ruby completely speechless because, _damn_ , that dress looks perfect on her!

“Holy shit! You look smoking hot in that dress, Ruby!” Mulan exclaims, watching as Ruby swirls around in her mermaid-silhouette wedding dress.

“Completely stunning, Rubes!” Emma says, still gaping at her friend.

“I think this is definitely the one! It looks perfect!” She celebrates, looking at herself in the mirror as Emma takes a picture to send it to Regina.

Emma is very excited for her friends’ wedding, but the fact that she needs to bring a date is eating her alive, honestly, because she is _dying_ to ask Regina to be her date, despite not being sure if the brunette is ready yet to be in public with her; or just ready to accept that she can go out with a woman without invisible homophobic shackles holding her back. However, when her phone vibrates in her hands again and Regina’s text appears, Emma almost falls of the plush couch she’s sitting on:

She stares at those words for long seconds, fading from the ambience around her, getting stuck in the silent world of doubt and insecurities that is her head. Elsa suddenly waves her hand in front of Emma’s face, making her look at them.

“What’s going on? You’re blushing,” Elsa points out with a smirk on her face. “Are you texting dirty things to Regina?”

Emma gasps, shaking her head disbelievingly as she alternates her eyes from the text to her curious friends. “Regina just assumed I’d take her to the wedding as a date.”

All the girls know about the conversation Emma had with Regina in her apartment a week ago because she obviously told them detail by detail, so they could give their opinion about it. She had expressed before to them that she’d like to ask Regina to be her date for the wedding but was scared of doing so and spooking the brunette for pressuring her too much. They know about it all, and now, they’re looking just as surprised as Emma about Regina’s sudden assumption.

“Emma! Text her back right now saying that you want her as your date!” Ruby commands, ushering the blonde to type on the phone.

“Shit, _right_.”

Emma starts typing, feeling slightly uncomfortable when the girls lean closer to catch a glimpse of what’s she’s typing, but she doesn’t say anything and continues, trying to be unbothered:

“Oh, my God, that’s just _so_ gay,” Mulan whines despite looking smitten with the texts just like the Elsa and Ruby are beaming at it.

“Emma, she’s so cute! I can’t even!” Ruby says, turning around with her cheeks blushing and a wide grin on her face, happy for her friend Emma and herself that looks so outstandingly beautiful in that wedding dress.

“She’s _so into_ you, Swan! This is lesbian activity on the highest level,” Elsa comments, arms crossed over her chest and a smirk on her lips, as usual.

“I swear I wasn’t expecting any of this. I thought she was still unsure about me…about _us_ ,” Emma confesses, feeling extremely surprised and warm all over for what just occurred. “And now she accepted to be in public with me… at a wedding! Can’t say I’m not surprised.”

“We all are, Emma,” Mulan says, grinning and patting Emma’s back affectionately.

What a day to remember, huh?

* * *

♬

_Is this love that I'm feeling_

_Is this the love that I've been searching for_

_Is this love or am I dreaming_

_This must be love_

_'Cause it's really got a hold on me_

_A hold on me_

— Whitesnake ****

To say that she misses Regina would be an _understatement_. There’s a need in her body that has become constant, never letting her forget that there is a woman on the other side of the country waiting for her to go there and spend time with her. Emma honestly has no idea how couples do this ‘distance relationship’ thing. It’s just so painful and unfulfilling. Texting every day like a bunch of teenagers is not as fun as it sounds. It just gets harder and lonely. Photos are not enough; definitely not. Thus, Emma has to make sure she asks the captain this Monday to let her go on Friday. It’s been two weeks since she had seen Regina... it’s been too long without her touch and beautiful smiles. God, Emma has gotten enough of waiting. Besides, time passes _torturously_ slow when Regina is not around.

Monday morning, Emma heads into the precinct with her coffee in hands and quickly sits down in her chair. She will get on with her reports, try to solve some cases quickly so the captain will go easy on her request later. As soon as she opens a file, her phone vibrates on the table with a new text from Regina:

That is just the rest of motivation Emma needs to literally _beg_ the captain for this next weekend off. When Mulan sits down at her desk in front of Emma, the blonde starts talking immediately:

“Regina just texted saying she would like me to go over to LA _this_ weekend because she will be performing live on stage and she wants me to watch her-”

“Whoa, _breathe_ ,” Mulan advises and Emma obeys hers. “Good morning to you too, Swan!” Her friend complains, smiling.

“Can you _please_ cover for me this Saturday? I really, really need the captain to allow me to go this weekend.”

“Of course I’ll cover for you, dummy,” Mulan says. “Just take deep breaths and everything will be okay. You look too tense.”

“I miss her, that’s all. It’s been two weeks already,” she huffs out, fiddling with the files on her desk.

“Damn, Swan, you’ve become a teenager again.”

“Just because I’m _in love_?”

Mulan suddenly looks up at someone and Emma turns around to find Captain Nolan with a smug smile on his face.

“You’re in love, Emma? How amazing! Who is the lucky lady?” He asks with excitement.

The blonde can feel her cheeks heating up instantly by being acknowledged by the captain this way. Oh, if he knew _who_ Emma is dating _._

“Uh, just some girl I met around,” she awkwardly explains, rising from her chair. “Which brings me to that topic we talked about last Monday?”

“Your need for the weekend off?” He rhetorically asks with a gentle smile. “Is that because of your new girlfriend?” Nolan teases, bumping his shoulder against hers.

Emma shyly nods in response. “Yeah, uh… she invited me to visit her in LA, so…”

His eyes widen in surprise. “LA? Wow! How did you manage to find a girl from LA to date, Swan?” He playfully asks, chuckling along with Mulan who can’t stop smiling at them while quietly mocking Emma for being questioned by the captain about her love life. He’s a very nice person and tries to be friends with everyone in the precinct because that’s just who he is as a person: very friendly.

“Uh, well, it’s a _long_ story.” She awkwardly laughs. “Mulan said she can cover for me if that’s easier?”

“It is,” he concedes. “Your shift ends at 12 p.m. on Friday. Is that good enough?”

Emma smiles at him gratefully. “Yes, it’s perfect! Thanks, Cap!”

He pats her back affectionately with his hand and starts walking away.

“See?” Mulan says after Nolan is back in his office. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Emma releases a contented sigh. “That was just what I needed to calm my nerves,” she confesses, turning on her desk computer as she sits down. “Now, I’m gonna book my flight to LA!”

Mulan instantly approaches Emma’s desk, a pout and puppy dog eyes look on her face. “Please, take me with you?” She begs which just makes Emma laugh.

* * *

♬

_I can't stop the feeling_

_I've been this way before_

_But, with you I've found the key_

_To open any door_

_I can feel my love for you_

_Growing stronger day by day_

_An' I can't wait to see you again_

_So I can hold you in my arms_

— Whitesnake ****

On a particular Tuesday, upon realizing how much she misses Regina, Emma continues watching _Once Upon An Evil Queen_ , wanting her desire to see and touch the woman to pass while she watches her on TV. Of course, the feeling _doesn’t_ subside; it instead intensifies because those dresses the Evil Queen wears are just… too much to incite the imagination. Those boobs… _God_ , so delectable. It’s 11:30 p.m. in the night when Emma decides to take a photo of a particular scene the Evil Queen looks super angry and sends it to Regina, hoping the brunette would still be awake in the other side of the country:

Emma waits with batted breath for five whole minutes (too long), expecting the ‘exclusive photo’. When Regina sends it, Emma’s mouth dries up instantly and her desire to touch the woman increases to a higher level:

Well, the evening has unexpectedly taken a different turn.

Emma wouldn’t have expected a photo like _that_ in a million years. She thought that Regina was scared of sending her _personal_ photos like that, but it seems like she trusts her to no end, which is amazing, by the way. Emma is just… trying to regain her breath after a photo like that was sent to her poor, unfortunate soul that longs for Regina’s touch; longs to feel her against her body, to kiss her and fuck her-

If she’s already _thinking_ about all of the things she wants to do to Regina, she might as well just type it all at once and tell the brunette exactly what she’d like to be doing to her right now:

Emma sent it all at once, throwing her insecurities to the window when she thought that Regina might find it too much. She made a very interesting question and Emma simply delivered it with the truth. And now she is beyond aroused and Regina is not _here_ for her. God, this is _hard._

Suddenly, her phone starts ringing and Regina’s _gorgeous_ photo appears on the screen:

For a few seconds, Emma just stares at Regina’s photo and the ‘slide to answer’ button with her body shaking and heart pounding. She wasn’t expecting a call from Regina because they haven’t called each other _once_ — just kept texting every day. However, what is going on right now in those texts surely gave the brunette a good reason to call, right? Maybe she’s upset that Emma said too much? Or maybe she’s uncomfortably aroused because of it, just like Emma is?

After taking a deep breath, Emma finally _slides to answer_ the call, muttering a shy _‘hey’_ into the phone.

 _“Emma,”_ Regina says in a breathless voice that causes goosebumps to her whole body. God, it’s been a while since she heard that beautiful voice. _“You have no idea how wet I am right now,”_ Regina whines through the phone, voice dripping with raw arousal.

“Fuck,” Emma mutters, palming her forehead as her thighs squeeze together automatically. To hear that from Regina, to hear her sexy voice through the phone is doing crazy things to her body. “I wish I could be there with you right now,” she confesses, voice low.

 _“Emma, my body is craving your touch,”_ Regina says, voice wavering. _“I need you so badly…”_

She closes her eyes, letting the sensation of that hot voice penetrate the ambience and her body. “Put your hands between your legs and touch yourself. Imagine it’s me,” she orders, voice put together, listening to Regina’s gasp on the other side. “I want you to make you come, so do what I tell you to do,” Emma says, hoping that Regina wouldn’t be bothered by any of it.

 _“Yes, please… I need you now,”_ Regina says, her voice low and tantalizing, yet a bit commanding too.

“I’m going to bring you to the edge of orgasm until you’re so overcome with want that you'll _beg_ me to let you come,” she says slowly, a slight harshness to her voice.

“ _Yes,”_ Regina moans, creating a wild flutter to erupt in Emma's gut. Gasping, she uses her own hand to start teasing herself between her legs.

“Are you touching yourself? Your clit?”

_“Y-yes…”_

“Stop it. I want you to slide a finger inside yourself, then lick it clean.” There’s silence on the other side of the line for a few seconds. Then, Emma hears a slight sucking noise, followed by a sexy moan. “Do you like how you taste?”

 _“Yes,”_ Regina answers, voice coming out barely as a whisper. _“I want your fingers inside of me, Emma… or a… a strap-on. I need you to fuck me hard with a strap-on.”_

It’s Emma’s turn to moan, her mind portraying images of her fucking Regina hard with a strap-on, something that she had been fantasizing for a while now. To know that Regina wants the same causes Emma’s heart to soar and her arousal to increase copiously. Her fingers on her clit speed up, the pressure too good to let go. But she needs to make Regina come first.

“Yes, baby, _yes_ ,” she groans in the phone. “I will pull your hair as I fuck you from behind, feel your ass slamming against my pussy-”

 _“Fuck, Emma, I’m so close,”_ Regina interjects, her voice so damn _sexy_.

“I’m going to make you come so _hard,_ Gina… And I’ll lick your pussy clean because I fucking _love_ your taste, I love the way your body arches off the bed to meet my mouth.”

_“Fuck, that feels so good. Oh, my God, I’m gonna come.”_

“Yes, Gina, come… and scream in my ear every bit of pleasure you’re feeling.”

 _“Emma… yes… yes!”_ Regina lets out a long moan of satisfaction, followed by several sharp gasps and Emma can imagine the way she’s arching off the bed, body bucking uncontrollably because of the strong orgasm. The sounds Regina releases are enough to make Emma come too, teeth wrapping around her bottom lip to keep herself from screaming too loud.

 _“Fuck, so good,”_ Regina confesses, humming against Emma’s ear, seeming to be tired from the wild and unexpected orgasm.

“Oh, my God, _yes_ ,” Emma groans into the phone, breath coming hot and heavy against the device. “I fucking miss you, Regina,” she says, voice low as a lazy smile forms on her lips.

_“I can’t wait for Friday, Emma.”_

Emma closes her eyes, embracing the feeling that she will see Regina this Friday and they will make all their fantasies come true. “You buy that strap-on you mentioned and I will make the weekend unforgettable,” she teases, listening to Regina’s wet laugh on the other side.

_“You bet I will.”_

* * *

♬

_Is this love that I'm feeling_

_Is this the love that I've been searching for_

— Whitesnake ****

Thursday night, Emma is casually choosing outfits to put in her suitcase, sending photos to her friends of the outfits, wanting to know if they’re cool enough or not, obviously because she wants to be perfect and fit in among the people of LA. Her phone vibrates with another text and, when she goes read it, expecting it’d be Ruby telling her about the outfit, it’s Regina, which just excites her even more. They have to talk about Emma’s flight tomorrow, about the time she will arrive, who will pick her up and so on. However, when she starts reading the texts, she realizes it’s not Regina at all:

Her face is on _fire_ from so much embarrassment. Zelena can’t see her, but still… she can’t control it. Did Zelena read their texts? Oh, my God…

Regina’s gorgeous photo suddenly appears on the screen of her phone and Emma ponders for a few seconds if she should answer the call. For all she knows, it could be Zelena wanting to talk about the texts she’d just read… _shit_. She has to pick up, either way. Zelena might not have a first good impression of her if she doesn’t.

“Hello?” She casually says into the phone.

 _“Emma, I’m so sorry for my sister.”_ Thank God it’s Regina! _“She grabbed my phone without me noticing and I am really, really sorry.”_

“Hey, it’s okay,” she amends between a chuckle. “She’s funny.”

 _“Oh, you haven’t met her yet. She is crazy!”_ Regina exclaims, which just makes Emma laugh harder, the brunette joining her seconds later. _“So, are you excited about tomorrow?”_

“You have no idea how much!” She exclaims with a grin. “How’s the play going?”

 _“That’s what I need to talk to you about,”_ Regina starts. _“I’ll be busy all day tomorrow working on the play, rehearsing and all, so Zelena will pick you up at the airport and take you to the theatre. Is that okay with you?”_

“Yeah, sure! Whatever you decide it’s best.”

 _“Great! It’s a six-hour flight for you, so sleep a lot on the plane because… well, dear, I won’t let you sleep early tomorrow,”_ Regina says, her voice so tantalizing that makes Emma’s body shiver from head to toe.

“Fuck,” she laughs. “I will sleep on the plane, I promise!” Emma says, listening to Regina’s satisfied sigh.

_“All right, dear. I’ll leave you to pack in peace — which you are doing right now, I assume?”_

Emma smiles, noticing that Regina is just as eager as her. “Yep! I’m packing everything you told me to.”

_“Including your sneakers?”_

“Yes, ma’am. Everything is going into the suitcase, I promise!” Emma says, hearing Regina’s satisfied hum on the phone.

_“Great! I’ll send you Zelena’s contact number so you can tell her when you land. She’ll be waiting for you.”_

“Okay, no problem.”

_“I’ll see you tomorrow, Emma.”_

“See you, Gina!”

* * *

 **Los Angeles** ****

As soon as Emma steps into departure with her suitcase already in hands, she spots ginger curls a few meters ahead. She smiles nervously, walking towards the woman with anxious jitters perturbing all over her body. Meeting your ‘girlfriend’s’ family is always overwhelming. Emma knows that too well.

“Hi, Emma Swan!” Zelena says when Emma stops in front of her. “It’s so good to finally meet you!” The woman says with a British accent, pulling Emma into a quick hug that just increases the blush on her cheeks.

“Hi,” she mutters sheepishly. “It’s nice to meet you too!”

“C’mon, let’s go! We have one hour before the play starts,” Zelena advises.

“Great!” She says excitedly, wanting to see Regina as soon as possible.

On the way to the parking lot, Zelena tells Emma every good thing about living in LA, how it’s easy to live among famous people and how exciting it is to go to premieres of movies. It’s a totally new world for Emma, but she is glad that this woman is telling her about it. It really sounds appealing.

“All right, so _you’re_ the one who left vampire marks on my sister’s body, huh?” Zelena asks as soon as she closes the door of the car while Emma stares at her with her face on _fire_.

“Wh-what?” She stammers out, watching uncomfortably as Zelena cackles out loud. Her laugh is so contagious and funny that it makes Emma laugh too, despite her embarrassment.

“Those hickeys you left on her body when she came back from the Maldives,” Zelena explains and Emma clears her throat, feeling her face still very warm. It tranquillizes her when the red-head turns on the car to begin the ride, but seconds later, she continues, “I swear I asked her a thousand times what had happened, who she had banged, but she didn’t tell me a thing,” Zelena confesses, surprising Emma with her sudden bluntness. “She said _nothing,_ really,” the red-head complains. “And she looked so sad all the time and I just… had no idea why.”

Emma swallows dryly, those important pieces of information filling her head and heart quickly, but she can’t grasp why Zelena is telling her all this.

“Regina has always been a bit too closed off, hard to decipher, or she didn’t like telling others about her feelings. I always tried to get it out of her, but it took me _years_ on it, even if I’m her only sister and greatest confidant,” Zelena says, eyes sometimes on the road and sometimes at Emma to check her expressions. “I didn’t understand at first why my sister was so sad when she came back from the Maldives. She chose to spend her vacation there _alone_ to solve her inner thoughts and fears. I tried to come with her, but she didn’t let me and told me that she needed to spend some time with herself. Eventually, I realized she didn’t spend time with _just_ herself, isn’t that right?” The red-head hints, throwing a smirk at Emma who just blushes in response. “Anyway, my sister kept the secret adventures that happened to her in the Maldives to herself for two whole months, while wandering around sad or just burying herself into her fictional characters and new auditions.”

Emma breathes in and out, heart pounding against her ribcage as she listens attentively to so many details about how Gina felt when she left the island. Mostly just like Emma did, apparently.

“Two weeks ago, when she came back from New York and finally told me everything that had happened and all the coincidences you two went through, I confess I was baffled to the core!” Zelena exasperates. “My sister had some incredible days in the Maldives with a woman she didn’t expect to meet at all, and when she stupidly decides to part without saying goodbye, you two meet again by _coincidence_ in fucking New York. To be honest, I’m still very surprised by it all, Emma.”

The blonde releases a dry laugh. “Can’t say that I’m not either.”

“And Regina told you _everything_ she was feeling, which is what surprises me the most, dear Emma. If you’re here LA right now, it’s because Regina really, really likes you.” Zelena gives her a knowing look as a smile forms on her lips that Emma quickly reattributes. “I’m glad you two met each other,” Zel says just as the car comes to a halt, and the blonde realizes they just arrived in their destination.

Wow, time flew by when she got lost in memories and in the imagination of everything Zelena told her.

“Are you excited to see her?” The redhead asks when they’re out of the car, walking calmly towards the entrance of the theatre.

“Very much! I miss her a lot,” she confesses shyly as Zelena cackles beside her.

“Sure you do. Those dirty texts I read were like-” the woman does a movement with her hands that symbolize something exploding while Emma blushes so hard she thinks _she_ is the explosion.

“Oh my God,” she mutters, covering her face with a hand. “You shouldn’t have read that.”

Zelena cackles again. “Regina almost _killed_ me, so rest in peace, Swan.”

After that, the murmuring of a crowded theatre fills their ears and ceases Emma’s embarrassment a little. When she thinks they’re about to start looking for their seats, Zelena pulls her to the back door beside the stage and they enter, but there’s no one there — just a few chairs and the black curtains around. Her heart starts pounding hard in her chest, the adrenaline that maybe she will see Regina right now taking over her. She’s about to ask Zelena what’s going on when someone jumps behind her, quickly turning her body around. And that someone is Regina _. Thank God._

A smile quickly breaks on her face as she wraps her arms tightly around the brunette’s form, wafting her delicious perfume fragrance. _Yes, finally._

“I’m so glad you’re here, Emma,” Regina mutters in her ear, arms tight around the blonde’s neck.

“I thought I was gonna see you only after the play,” she says, still flabbergasted that she is touching Regina right now, embracing her and feeling her so close.

“I needed to see you before the show started,” Gina says as Emma takes her in, dressed in a colourful dress with high black boots, and her hair is all curly on the sides. She looks fucking _gorgeous_. Looking at her right now feels like a sight for sore eyes.

“Regina, we’re gonna start!” Someone calls from behind the curtains, making Emma feel sad instantly.

“I have to go, Emma,” Regina says in a meek tone, eyeing her up and down, seeming to just realize that Emma is really there. “I hope you enjoy the play!” She embraces Emma for a few seconds again before pulling away and disappearing into the curtains.

As Emma leaves the bubble that is ‘being with Regina’, she realizes Zelena is looking at her with a smug expression on her face, the same one Elsa does when she’s about to mock her.

“You really missed my sister, huh?” Zel asks, arms crossed over her chest and a smirk on her lips.

“There’s no doubt in that,” she responds cheerfully, chuckling as Zelena shakes her head from side to side and pulls her towards the exit.

As soon as she and Zelena are back to the audience part of the theatre, they quickly find their seats. The minute she's comfortable, two women and a man move to sit beside her and Zelena.

“Oh, right on time!” Zelena says to them. “Guys, this is the famous Emma Swan,” she presents and Emma blushes, forehead creasing.

“Hi, Emma!” A short, blonde woman says, giving Emma a small smile as she extends her hand to her, which she instantly takes. “I’m Rose Bell — Regina’s agent.”

Oh, so these are probably the friends Regina mentioned in her text.

“Hello, I’m Mallory Drake — Regina’s best friend!” The tall, chic, blonde woman extends her hand to Emma, a polite smile on her face.

“And I am the one and only — Regina’s boyfriend,” a smug man says and Emma instantly feels the need to punch him in the face. _How dare he-_

“He’s teasing you, Emma,” Zelena says with a laugh, probably noticing that Emma’s expression had hardened instantly at the mention of the _boyfriend_.

“No need to be jealous, milady! I’m just Killian Jones, an old friend!” He defends himself, but Emma’s expression of anger and hatred doesn’t soften that quickly. Not until Zelena nudges her to quiet down as the lights around the theatre fade, highlighting it on the stage.

“You can kill him later,” Zelena comments in her ear, causing her to flinch because she is _jealous_ even if that man is just a friend/fake boyfriend.

Her anger is slightly dispersed when Zelena throws a paper in her lap, a paper with information about the play that Emma reads with some difficulty by the minimum amount of lights. The play is a comedy called _Petty Pocalypse_ and is about a nuclear apocalypse. The music starts and Emma turns her concentration only to the stage, hands sweating with eagerness to see Regina performing live.

Regina’s character is named Liza, who is married to a man who owns a restaurant and is kind of obligated to accommodate three employees from the restaurant when the nuclear attack is announced. In the beginning, she calls her husband to find out where he was and she hears several excuses, raising some suspicion. While Liza becomes worried, the guests arrive late at her home and Liza asks why the three of them had taken so long and they reply: “Google Maps doesn’t work in nuclear attacks” and Liza remarks with, “I told you guys to use Waze” — which makes Zelena cackle _so_ loud it’s embarrassing to be seated next to her.

Conversation in the play comes and goes, and whenever someone leaves the living room of Liza's house, the people who remain in there gossip about whoever left. When it’s Liza’s turn to leave her ‘guests’ alone for a few minutes, she eavesdrops what one of the employees had discovered: her husband is cheating on her with a waitress! Right at that moment, Liza interrupts the conversation with, “Tell me who’s pussy my husband’s been licking!” The crowd goes crazy with laughter, including Emma, who blushes profusely but loves every minute of it. Regina is a totally different person when she’s in character. Her performance excels at every level.

After the discovery, Liza becomes very sad while the others begin to speak ill of Liza’s husband’s mistress. They say that the girl's ass is fake, that she isn’t even that pretty… and that her Instagram profile is horrible, which again makes Zelena laugh out loud. The play eventually comes to an end while the characters continue gossiping and waiting for the nuclear attack.

Loud applause erupts and all the characters come back to the stage to bow down to the audience. Emma is grinning widely at Regina and the brunette is staring right back at her, equalling the grin on her own face. God, if there were no boundaries in this world, she would be up on that stage already, pulling Regina to a kiss in front of everyone!

To her disappointment, the curtains lower down and there is no sight of Regina. At least they will go to her house now and finally will be able to enjoy their time together.

“Emma, we’re gonna head to Gina’s house, but she will stay here a while longer because the fans will want autographs,” Zelena explains and Emma just nods meekly, still a tad disappointed.

“Okay,” she mutters, rising from her seat along with Zelena and the others.

After that, all of them head out to their cars and Emma realizes that the agent, the friend and the fake boyfriend will go to Regina’s house too for a small ‘get together’. Once inside Zelena’s car, the redhead asks if Emma liked the play, what she thought of the theatre, among other things. They stop at a drive-in of Mexican food, and Zelena orders so many tacos and enchiladas to feed a whole buffet. Soon later, they are entering a very fancy neighbourhood that leaves Emma baffled by all the mansions around. The car stops in front of a very big house with two floors that the blonde immediately assumes it’s Regina’s house. _Holy shit._

“Regina will be arriving soon!” Zelena announces to Emma, as the other friends park behind Zelena’s car. “Let’s go, y’all!”

Emma picks her suitcase from the trunk and they all head into the house, which is so big and so beautifully decorated with art all around. She is impressed looking at every single detail, committing it to memory because all of it tells her a bit more about Regina.

“Milady, I’ll take your suitcase to Her Majesty’s chambers because I sure know where it is located,” Killian says in a provoking tone that pisses Emma off instantly.

“Stop teasing her, asshole!” Rose exclaims with a laugh as Killian hurriedly takes Emma’s suitcase upstairs.

“Killian likes to be the center of attention and, since Regina told him that you were a bit jealous, he decided to tease you to death,” Mallory says with a smirk and Emma smiles back, although a bit shy.

“C’mon, let’s get some drinks and wait for Gina,” Zelena says, motioning for everyone to follow her. They pass through the backdoor and head up some stairs that lead to a small pool, hot tub and a bar all lit up. Emma is in awe of everything around her, realizing she really is in some Hollywood rich house.

Mallory and Rose sit down on the small couch around a pit of fire that Zelena gladly has turned on, and Emma sits on the armchair beside it, watching as Zelena moves to stand behind the bar to grab some drinks. The group starts chatting amicably with each other while Emma drinks the beer Zelena had handed her in silence, feeling just a bit uncomfortable by being around people she doesn’t know anything about, except for Zelena who really is a bit crazy like Regina had mentioned. When Killian joins them, their conversation gets louder as Emma starts to feel a bit slightly more comfortable. That is until Rose says her name:

“So, Emma.” She wiggles her eyebrows playfully at her. “Regina told us a lot about you!”

Emma swallows dryly, trying to hide the lack of self-confidence in her. “Uh, did she?”

“After so much pressure from us, she sure didn’t have another choice,” Mal guffaws.

“Yep,” Killian joins in. “She didn’t have much choice on that. We were too excited to know more about the girl who stole Regina’s heart,” he says pointedly, raising his beer in a silent toasting motion to Emma.

“Oh,” she mutters, incapable of saying anything coherent because she doesn’t know _what_ to respond to them. She and Regina haven’t expressed their deepest feelings for each other yet; haven’t said, ‘I love you’ at all because Emma thinks the brunette is not ready yet. It is clear that Regina’s friends know about everything that happened between them, just like Emma’s friends know everything too, but being here right now with these inquisitive people is making Emma act like a stupid teenager being caught by the parents… even though she never had those.

“I told Emma how surprised I was… well, _we_ were, when Regina told us the whole story about how you met and everything that happened after,” Zelena says, looking pointedly at Emma with that knowing smirk on her face.

Emma clears her throat and says, “Yeah, well. I guess most people would be surprised by it all. I never thought I’d see her again, even after I discovered she is an actress.”

“Oh, how did you discover it, by the way?” Mal asks, seeming super interested.

Emma smiles sheepishly and says, “I was at the gym running on the treadmill when a trailer of _Once Upon An Evil Queen_ started and I saw her.”

“Another coincidence?” Rose asks, mouth gaping and eyes wide.

“Yep!” Emma laughs. “Crazy, right?”

“No wonder Regina tweeted something weird about the universe and souls,” Killian points out and they all nod in unison.

“This love story has so many accurate coincidences that I’m starting to believe in fate myself,” Mal says with a scoff.

“Anyway, Emma,” Rose starts, turning her eyes to the blonde. “I guess it’s time we question if you have good intentions with our Gina?” Everyone else turns their eyes to her, looking expectant and amused.

“Uh… I have the best of intentions with her,” she says, feeling her face heat up. “I… I actually realized how I felt for her right after she left the Maldives, so… I’ve been in this for a while,” she confesses meekly.

“We’re only asking because… if Gina has brought you here, it means it is hella serious!” Rose says.

Emma’s heart soars at that information. She wants nothing more than to get in a serious relationship with Regina, be out in the public with her like a normal couple, but she knows the brunette has to be the one to dictate that.

“Yep, it is,” Mal complements with a grin. “We’re glad you found each other. Gina has been denying her sexuality from herself for far too long, but _you_ changed that somehow when she brought you here for all of us to get to know you.”

Emma grins brightly, feeling happy that they’re addressing a subject that is so important to Regina.

“And I was just teasing you earlier, okay?” Killian says, raising his hands over his chest. “I’m only a friend of Gina’s and the idea of me to go with her to events was Rose’s, so…” he nods at the short blonde woman, who’s also the _agent._ “Blame it on her!”

Rose shrugs and says, “Yeah, well, Regina is a complicated person. She wants her fans to know the _real_ Regina, but she is too scared to embrace her own sexuality to herself. I guess with you here now, things will drastically change for the better.”

“They have _already_ changed, Rose,” Zelena cuts in with a happy smile gracing her face and, that exact moment, light steps are heard coming from the stairs and all of them turn to look.

“Hi!” Regina greets with a bright smile, her eyes landing on Emma and she walks hastily towards her. “I missed you,” she says before cupping Emma’s face to kiss her gently on the lips. It’s a kiss so soft and yet, so full of passion that emanates from their bodies and lips finally coming in contact after a while.

Someone clears their throat and that drives Regina to break the kiss, flushing beet red as she turns to face her grinning friends. Killian whistles right then and Regina rolls her eyes, which just makes everyone laugh.

“Damn, Gina, that was hot!” Killian comments with a lascivious wink.

“Shut up, Killian,” Regina responds, eyes finding Emma’s again, and then she sits on the blonde’s lap — one arm rounding the back of her neck and the other finding Emma’s fingers in her lap to entwine them together.

Emma can just stare at her, _speechless_ , feeling her heart race in her chest, realizing how domestic all this is and, no less, in front of people that are important to Regina. Does this mean she wants to be serious? Does this mean it could be a _real thing_ in the future? God, Emma wants it _so much._

“What have you all been bothering her with?” Regina asks, throwing a cynical look to her friends who just laugh, eyes connected to them sitting together in the armchair.

“We were telling her how _annoying_ you are, but she probably already knows it,” Mal teases as Regina laughs, fingers finding the nape of Emma’s neck to start a slow caress that causes shivers on her whole body.

“What did you think of the play?” She asks, directing the question to everyone, but her eyes are specifically on Emma, waiting for her response.

“It was amazing! You are… magnificent and so talented,” Emma says with a grin, hand tightening around Regina’s waist. “It was the best thing I’ve ever watched.”

“The _best_ thing?” The brunette inquires with an arched eyebrow. “Oh, my! I’m flattered,” she coaxes, leaning down to press her lips briefly to Emma’s.

The blonde laughs, her stomach doing exciting flips. “It was funny.”

“Yeah, so damn funny, Regina!” Zelena exclaims. “I laughed out loud many times.”

“Oh, I _heard_ ,” Regina answers, making everyone snicker.

After that, Zelena, Mal, Rose and Killian encase in a conversation between each other, finally pulling their attention away from Emma and Regina. Right then, they start talking to each other, asking about anything they didn’t have the time to ask during texts: Regina asks how her flight was, what is she thinking of LA so far, what she would like to do tomorrow and Emma asks if she got the detective part (she did), asks if the character of ‘Liza’ on the play had been challenging for her or not, and asks how the moment with the fans after the play had been.

Emma could honestly spend _hours_ talking to Regina and listen to her talk. Everything about this woman enchants her at the highest levels possible. The blonde is observing her with a smile, watching as she glances at her friends to then look at Emma again, only this time her eyes are full of mischief and something _more._

“Are you hungry?” Regina asks, her voice lower than before.

Emma remembers the tacos that were forgotten downstairs, realizing that she’s not hungry for _that._ She’s hungry for Regina, for her body, her touch, everything about her that she’s been neglected these past few weeks without her. With a roguish smile, Emma answers, “Depends on what you’re going to offer me.”

Regina bites her lower lip, returning Emma’s roguish smile as the hand that has been firmly placed behind her neck starts to caress the skin in a tantalizing way. A few seconds after that, she gets off of Emma’s lap, pulling her up as well, and says to her friends, “Emma and I are going to bed,” she announces and everyone looks back at her with cynical expressions. “She’s really tired from her flight,” she adds as her friends just snicker.

“I bet you’re not going to let her sleep, anyway,” Zelena teases, making both of them blush and the others to laugh. They’re very giggly by now, probably because of the drinks. Emma had stopped drinking the moment Regina got there because she knew she had to be awake for whatever the brunette decided to do with her tonight.

“You’re not even going to eat the tacos Zelena bought?” Rose asks, eyebrow arched inquisitively.

“I… I’m not that hungry,” Emma says and Regina smiles at her.

“Please, clean up after you leave,” Regina says dismissively and then starts to walk with Emma towards the stairs as her friends whistle and laugh in the background.

As soon as they’re inside the living room and away from curious eyes, Emma turns Regina around and kisses her hungrily, backing her against the nearest wall so her hands can grope the soft spots on her body that she missed so much. The brunette moans into the kiss, one thigh rising to wrap around Emma’s waist, her legs parting with the movement. The blonde uses the opportunity to pick Regina up completely, causing the latter to wrap both her legs around her waist. Her arms flex with the heavyweight and Regina slowly drags her hands on Emma's white skin, feeling up her muscles. The kiss becomes heavier, more passionate and their breaths quicken, parting only for a few seconds regain their breath and Regina asks in a pleading voice, “Emma, take me upstairs.”

Emma does it without question, finding the way to the stairs quickly, moaning as Regina starts to bite her neck, and leaving wet patches on her skin with her tongue. Emma enters the first bedroom she sees and tosses Regina on the mattress right after, receiving back a feral look of pure _lust_.

“Emma, close the door,” Regina says in a commanding voice and Emma quickly obeys.

With the door of the room safely closed behind her, she turns around to find Regina tugging her dress up her thighs, leaving her panties visible for the blonde’s hungry eyes. Something inside Emma suddenly snaps, driving her to kneel on the mattress and twist Regina to lay on her stomach; the dress hiking up on her waist. Instead of just dragging the dress away, Emma is distracted by Regina’s tight, round ass. She squeezes the soft globes, pushing them up to take a closer look at the wet patch on Regina’s panties, signalling how fucking wet she already is. Emma groans at that, her thumb finding the wet spot to start teasing it with light pressures of her finger, listening to Regina’s whimper.

“You missed me, huh?” She provokes, listening to Regina grumble against the mattress. Emma finally gives the attention needed to the dress still covering the upper half of the brunette’s body and starts to undo the zipper slowly, letting her fingers trace the skin on the way that causes goosebumps on the other woman. After pulling the zipper the whole way down, Regina straightens her posture, back coming facing Emma’s front as they both tug the dress past the brunette’s head, throwing it carelessly at somewhere in the room. Before Regina can turn around, Emma wraps her arms around her waist and presses the whole front of her body against the other woman’s back. Regina’s immediate response is to groan and roll her hips, her ass grinding against Emma’s jeans.

“Take it _off_ ,” Regina commands, voice harsh, and Emma chuckles in her ear. Oh, if she thinks she’s in _charge_ tonight…

“So demanding,” she teases, rolling her jean-clad hips against Regina’s ass to then smack it lightly, hearing another whimper slip out of the brunette’s lips.

“Remember our call?” Regina asks, her voice low and careful.

Emma grins, gliding her hands over Gina’s stomach to reach her bare breasts. “How could I forget?”

“I bought the strap on,” Regina confesses, voice hesitant as her head turns over her shoulder to look at Emma. The blonde grins, pecking Regina’s lips briefly to then slide her hands downwards under the woman’s panties, finding nothing but copious wetness. “Mmm,” Regina mutters, eyes closing in pleasure as Emma starts teasing her wet folds. “Emma, I need you to _fuck_ me.”

“I will, baby,” Emma responds and decides to pull herself completely away from Regina, listening to her low grumble. “Be patient,” she advises with a smirk, receiving a murderous look and pure sexual frustration energy emanating from Regina the minute she turns to face Emma. “Go grab the strap on,” she orders and Regina reluctantly obeys.

While Regina is busy looking at her bedside table’s drawer, Emma starts taking off her clothes quickly, that when the brunette is back, her lips are wrapped between her teeth as she stares Emma down with hooded eyes full of desire.

“Take off your panties,” Emma orders again and, this time, Regina doesn’t hesitate in obeying.

“Here you go,” Regina says and throws her panties at Emma, hitting her stomach. The blonde’s mouth opens in surprise, facing Regina’s sexy smirk and eyes full of mischievousness.

“You think you have the upper hand here, don’t you?” Emma asks, moving hastily towards the other woman and springs her legs apart, face falling directly on her wet pussy to get herself a taste. But it’s too quick, too sudden, too little for what Regina is waiting for. So when she pulls away again, Regina whimpers, smacking her hands against the mattress with irritation and a sort of impetuousness. “Oh, I’ll make you wait as long as I want, Regina Mills,” she drawls with a smirk, watching as Regina props her body on her elbows to glare at Emma, who just laughs at her situation.

What is happening right now in this room is something Emma always imagined doing to Regina: make her super aroused, tease her incessantly and then make her wait for an orgasm. Also, to fuck her with a strap on has always been on the list too. Regina likes to be in command, but as soon as Emma tells her what to do (sexually), she turns to putty in her arms.

Emma takes off her panties then approaches the bed to grab the black, leather harness and the strap on, clasping it around her hips. Regina is watching her attentively, lips between her teeth in that sexy way only she knows how. Emma is also _dying_ for an orgasm, but she will give everything to Regina first, or make her wait as long as she wants.

“On your knees,” she commands again and Regina does it instantly, probably too eager to complain by now. The sight of Regina’s ass pushed up, completely on her mercy, ready to be fucked senseless causes her body to shiver and more wetness to pool between her legs. She positions herself behind Regina, and slowly glides the tip of the shaft through her folds, listening to the woman’s breathy gasp.

Then, she moves the phallus down, watching in silent awe as the toy slowly disappears into Regina’s wet folds and a guttural moan escapes the latter’s lips. Emma starts moving, slowly, focused, partially to tease, but also just to be able to cope with the overwhelming hot slickness of being inside Regina like this, taking her from behind. She pulls out nearly to the tip and then pushes all the way back in, long motions, but steady, until Regina pants, “More.” The blonde obligingly picks up the pace but is no less thorough in her motion, threading fingers through dark hair and pulling Regina’s head back to make her arch, just like she explained she would do on that phone call.

Regina is making all kinds of noises, sending shivers through Emma’s body. She feels the toy brush her at her own clit with each thrust, the friction creating copious wetness inside her. She releases her hand from Regina’s hair, sliding them down to her ass to squeeze it and then pull her harder against the toy, her hips roughly pumping into the other woman.

“Fuck, Emma, that’s so good,” Regina moans and Emma pulls her hair again, not to harsh and not too gentle, feeling the adrenaline of doing something so erotic penetrate her veins. “I’m almost there,” the brunette mumbles, almost breathless.

She eventually lets go of those enticing curls and uses the free hand to rub quick circles on Regina’s clit as her hips thrust deeper inside the woman, the movement easy enough due to Regina’s soaked state. Feeling bold, Emma smacks her hand on Regina’s voluptuous ass with her other hand, listening to the loud moan that escapes her lips, wondering if her friends can hear them from upstairs.

“ _Emma_ … do it again,” Regina pleads and Emma obeys, smacking her ass again, and again, and again, repeatedly — hearing those breathy moans becoming louder and louder. With a few final hard thrusts and smacks on her ass, Regina's body shakes with the force of her orgasm, skin shivering in pleasure as the added sensation of Emma’s fingers on her clit and slaps on her ass causes her orgasm to rip through her body like a freight train.

Emma’s mouth opens in awe at the view, her own body fluttering with the delicious sensation of Regina’s ass slamming against the toy and the action grinding on her clit. The moans Regina releases are what makes her reach her peak, threads of pleasure sliding down her legs and Regina’s. Her eyes are so firmly shut she thinks she might pass out from the intensity of her orgasm.

Completely worn out, Emma falls on Regina’s back, the toy sliding out of the brunette as both of them try to regain their ragged breathing. Regina suddenly starts laughing, the movement causing Emma’s body to shake along with her.

“Emma, you just gave me the best orgasm of my _life,_ ” Regina confesses and Emma laughs too, a grin so wide forming on her lips that she can’t contain herself for one whole minute.

“I’ve been planning what to do with you since that night you called me,” she confesses shyly, throwing her body to the side so she can face the brunette.

“You’re amazing,” Regina says and surges on top of her, eager lips finding hers in a sloppy and hungry kiss. “What do you say about a shower, where I show you all the things I imagined doing with you under the cascading water?”

Emma quickly nods, grinning brightly as Regina pulls her out of bed and they head to the shower to make their welcome night even more incredible.

* * *

♬

_'Cause girl you're perfect (girl you're perfect)_

_You're always worth it (you're always worth it)_

_And you deserve it (and you deserve it)_

_The way you work it (the way you work it)_

_'Cause girl you earned it (girl you earned it, yeah)_

_Girl, you earned it (you earned it, yeah)_

— The Weeknd

The next morning, Regina wakes her up at 7 in the morning so they can have breakfast and head to the Griffith Park Hiking Trails. Zelena joins them, saying she wants to get to know more of Emma. The hike up to the Hollywood sign takes about two hours and Regina says it will be super fun. On the way there, Zelena can’t shut up and keeps telling Emma and Regina everything about her work, gossips about some celebrity here and there, or reveals a secret about Regina that makes the brunette blush and Emma laugh. Unfortunately, though, Emma doesn’t touch Regina a lot in public, since they always find a person or two hiking up on the path as well. Sometimes it’s Regina who leans closer and lets their fingers graze as their legs work harder each second to get to the top. Despite feeling a bit tired and out of breath, Emma completely relishes the opportunity and keeps taking photos with her phone while Regina uses her professional camera (the same one she brought to the Maldives). That reminds Emma of the photos they took together and she makes a note in her head to ask Regina about that later when they’re alone.

The views of Los Angeles around them are breathtaking and Emma doesn’t hesitate to send lots and lots of pictures on the group chat with her friends, who instantly comment that they wanted to be visiting too, if they could. That makes Emma wonder how it’d be like if her friends met Regina’s. Would they get along? _Maybe_.

“Emma, has Regina told you how she got that sexy scar on her upper lip?” Zelena asks with a hint of amusement in her voice and Regina just groans.

“Why do you have to tell _everyone_ that story?”

“I don’t tell everyone!” Zelena defends herself. “Just people who I deem that deserve to hear it.”

“Oh, please, do tell because I’m super curious now!” Emma confesses, nudging Regina playfully on the ribs who just snorts.

“Well, once upon a time, Regina and I were playing during summer break in a park, where it had a few swings around countless trees. Not just trees, but _fruit_ trees,” Zel says and Emma listens to it attentively. “As kids, Gina and I always liked to do mischief to each other-”

“ _You_ liked it, Zelena!” Regina interjects with a growl that only makes Emma laugh.

“Anyway,” the redhead dismisses her sister’s outburst. “I liked to provoke and do mischievous things since a little kid, and mother is sure I was born a little _wicked_ inside-”

“I stand by that,” Regina mutters under her breath.

“So, when Gina asked me to push her on the swing, I obviously said yes. But then, I decided I wanted to be pushed too, but Gina wouldn’t leave the swing. That’s why I pushed her forward and she fell with her face onto the curb.”

Emma’s eyes go-round with surprise. “Oh, my God.”

“Regina turns to me with her face full of blood, wanting to cry and yet… she glares at me like she wants to _kill_ me.” Regina laughs at that and Emma glances between the two sisters in awe. “Regina swallows her tears down and starts stalking after me with an evil look on her face, and I step backwards and start running. She _runs_ after me, screaming, ‘ _I’m going to kill you, witch’_ and as I turn around to the face-bloodied monster my sister had turned into, she throws a freaking mango right at me, hitting the side of my head that gave me this horrifying scar on my scalp.”

“That’s insane!” Emma exclaims, using the opportunity to take a closer look at Regina’s scar too, standing too close to her that Zelena whistles out loud, causing them to sprint apart in seconds.

“Oh, no need to part, _children._ The only paparazzi around is me,” she says teasingly, snapping a photo of both of them with her phone.

“Shut up or I’ll throw another mango at you,” Regina remarks and all three of them snicker.

After a tenth of a mile on Hollyridge Trail, they reach a viewpoint that has an angled view of the Hollywood Sign, but all nine letters are visible in a perfect perspective. Emma sighs wistfully at it, enjoying it too much, especially when Regina presses the side of her body onto Emma’s and they appreciate the view together.

When they reach the top of the mountain, they find themselves standing right on top of the H in Hollywood with a tall chain-link fence, keeping all hikers from approaching the tall white letters and obscuring the view. Emma’s legs are sore and her body is tired, but at the same time, it feels good to be looking at the amazing landscape that is the city of Los Angeles, and beside the woman she loves, no less.

Emma watches Regina moving around, taking photos of every corner she finds enticing enough. Zelena is taking selfies all around, trying to find the perfect light. Emma’s biggest desire right then is to kiss Regina and commit that amazing moment in a perfect place to memory, but she knows she can’t because there are a few people around, also enjoying the view, and someone could recognize Regina. It’s disappointing, but she understands it.

Using the opportunity that they’re a bit far from Zelena, she approaches Gina and asks about those photos they took of each other in the Maldives. Regina turns to her with a wide grin, her fingers pressing some buttons on the camera so she can show Emma that the photos are still there.

“My favourite is this one.” Regina points to the photo she took of Emma when they went exploring the island by bike:

Emma blushes a little and remarks, “I thought your favourites were the ones you uploaded to Instagram.”

Regina grins. “I like those as well. You’re a great photographer.”

“You too,” Emma answers, her body inching towards Regina like a magnet when their eyes meet and it’s almost impossible to break eye contact.

“You two stand around each other like horny _teenagers_ , for God’s sake,” Zelena complains, stopping beside them, which causes them to spring apart (even if they weren’t that close enough).

Both she and Regina are blushing while Zelena keeps staring at them with a smug expression, causing them to fidget under her scrutiny. It’s awkward, but at the same time, funny too. When it gets too intense, Emma and Regina scatter around, continuing to take pictures of the view as if nothing had happened while Zelena just laughs at them.

The way back down the hill is faster, which is good because Emma could feel her legs turning to jelly and it was _not_ the kind of situation she wanted them to. When they get home, Zelena goes back to her apartment in downtown LA and Emma and Regina are finally in that big celebrity house. It’s ironic how they’re alone now and both of them are extremely tired from the hike to do anything to each other. They decide to share a bath together but don’t do anything related to sex since they’re too tired and in desperate need to rest their sore muscles. They spend at least thirty minutes soaking their bodies in lavender water, arms and legs around each other, and Emma almost fell asleep in that position, but her back started hurting after a while.

After getting dressed up, they head downstairs together to make lunch. Regina starts grabbing the ingredients while Emma only keeps _watching_ her with a fond look in her face. Then, when Gina invites her to the island, she starts helping her chop the vegetables and, together, they mix up a raw mung bean tabbouleh salad. It’s delicious and something Emma had never eaten before; and the best of all, of course, is that it’s vegan.

They talk a lot during lunch and it’s very entertaining because, when Emma asks her questions, Regina deliberately answers her like she _wants_ to tell her everything, which makes Emma so content. When Emma asks about how it is to work on a television show, Regina tells it all, giving details about the behind the scenes stuff from _Once Upon An Evil Queen_ and _Swingtown,_ and Emma is thrilled by all of it. She also tells her a few gossips from some other actors of the cast or just funny situations that have happened while filming.

When they finish eating, Regina suggests they head to the TV room to watch a movie. Knowing Regina, she will probably make Emma watch an old, romantic movie. Now, all that talk about being a huge fan of movies and Hollywood that they had at the cinema in the Maldives makes much more sense. Regina chooses _Dirty Dancing_ because Emma tells her that she had never watched it, so there is no other argument in _that_.

Thirty minutes pass in the movie and it’s great, Emma is loving it — but loves, even more, the way they’re laying on the couch: Emma on her side with her back to the couch and Regina in front of her, with her back to Emma. They’re cuddling and watching a movie; something Emma _loved_ to do when she was dating. And this feels a lot like dating, even if they haven’t expressed anything serious yet to each other.

Fifteen minutes more pass and Emma starts to get distracted. She swears she’s trying to concentrate _only_ on the movie, but the way Regina slides her ass closer to her pelvis kinda makes her forget how they’re watching a _movie_ instead of just having sex. They have rested enough by now, haven’t they? And time is running fast. Sunday Emma will leave after lunch and then Regina will be far from her again. It’s disappointing _,_ so they must enjoy every second they have left together, especially in _bed._

Suddenly, Regina surprises her when she says, “Emma, I’ll be right back.” She rises from the couch and leaves Emma behind a bit speechless and also _sexually frustrated_. Where the hell is she going? Why did she leave this amazing, comfortable position?

Her horny instincts tell her to go after Regina and kiss her senseless while reason tells her to stay put on the couch, watching _Dirty Dancing_ by herself. Ten torturous minutes pass and Emma knows that because she literally keeps glancing at her wristwatch, trying to figure out what Regina is doing _alone_ upstairs. When she’s least expecting, Regina calls her and Emma quickly scrambles off of the couch, too eager to be close to the other woman again.

Emma finds Regina in her bedroom, posing beside a vanity chair in the middle of the room, dressed in a black pair of lacy lingerie, matching stockings with a garter belt tying it to her panties, and a negligée to cover it all. She gapes at the sight, mouth-drying up as her panties grow wet with the promise of what is to happen. _Holy fuck._

“All that dancing in the movie gave me an idea,” Regina taunts, eyes glowing with sheer desire.

“Yeah?” Emma rhetorically asks, her feet taking her to where the brunette is standing with a smug expression on her face. “What are you gonna do?”

“Sit down and watch, dear,” Regina says as she pushes Emma gently towards the chair, pulling her legs apart so they are in a V angle, and stands between them. Regina uses two silky scarves to tie Emma’s hands together behind the chair, leaving it comfortable enough that it feels somewhat… _alluring_.

Emma is completely speechless by all of it. She wasn’t expecting to find Regina dressed like _this_ and ready to give her a lap dance. Well, at least that’s what she _hopes_ is going to happen.

“You are not supposed to touch me, okay?” Regina asks, her voice throaty and commanding. _Oh, so now it’s Regina’s turn to be in charge, huh?_

“Yes, ma’am! Whatever you need,” Emma responds like an obedient puppy, receiving a satisfied smile from the brunette.

Emma watches with attention as Regina takes a few steps back to retrieve her iPod from the bed and soon a song starts playing — one the blonde recognizes as _Earned It_ by The Weeknd. It’s one of the sexiest songs she’s ever listened to and fits perfectly to the moment.

“Being around you, Emma, always makes me feel good,” Regina taunts, hands flying up to touch her hair in a sexy way, moving to her sides and pulling at the strings of her negligée. Her hips sashay to the rhythm of the song, the beat and the view of Regina moving is so _sexy_ that a wave of heat coils deep in the pit of her stomach, thrumming low between her legs. “I’ve never danced like this for anyone in my life,” the brunette continues. “But because of how sexy, desired and _aroused_ you make me feel all the time, I figured out you deserved something special from me.”

Emma groans as Regina presses her barefoot on her thigh, the negligée sliding up her toned leg and giving the blonde a peek of what’s under (even if she knows exactly what awaits her, having sex with Regina always feels new and different in some way). The urge to touch is instant, but the scarves prevent her hands from moving, which just makes her even more aroused for being restrained and also a bit angry for being denied something she wants so much.

Regina begins undoing the knot of her negligée, opening up so her bare stomach, bra and panties are fully on display. Pulling her foot away from Emma’s skin, Regina begins to very lightly touch her own bare skin that isn’t covered by lace, running her fingers over her neck and down her chest and stomach. Her fingers tease around the garter belt and then run back up, groping her own breasts on the way, leaving Emma thirsty and needy to touch.

Emma stares as Regina kneels down between her legs, hands gently moving to Emma’s denim shorts to pull it down with no struggles as the latter helps her do it. Regina leaves Emma’s panties on, but her hands abruptly rip her tank top to shreds, causing a gasp to erupt from her lips. _Holy shit._

“Regina!” She exclaims, trying to look outraged by the sudden action, but only finds herself even more aroused, feeling her panties get moist and uncomfortable against the skin of her pussy.

“There is no need for bras, dear,” Regina says as she undoes the clasp of Emma’s bra behind her back.

“Oh, so take yours off too since they’re so unnecessary,” she remarks with a smirk and Regina’s eyebrow flick up expectantly.

“You have a point.” She takes off her own bra and throws both hers and Emma’s to somewhere in the room. After that, she straddles Emma’s thighs, hands finding leverage on the back of the chair behind the blonde. Their breasts come in contact as Regina’s mouth leans close to her ear and says, “Remember when you handcuffed me the last time we saw each other?”

“Yes,” Emma responds breathlessly, arching off her back to receive more contact from those incredible nipples. “I remember you fucking me after that too.”

 _Call Out My Name_ , also by The Weeknd starts playing, and Emma recognizes it immediately. She notices that, apparently, Regina has a playlist that consists of the sexiest The Weeknd’s songs.

“Oh, yes, I did. But what I _didn’t_ get to do then was tie you up like I’m doing right now,” the brunette says, lips grazing Emma’s ear, causing her whole body to shiver. “I’ve dreamed of this, _Em-ma_ ,” she draws out the A and Emma’s hips buck up for more contact. “I’ve dreamed of tying you up and making you beg for my touch. Or make you angry for not touching me.”

“Fuck,” Emma mutters, once again trying to use her hands to touch Regina and dumbly realizing she _can’t_. Then, Regina pushes herself up and lowers herself down again, opening her legs when she gets into a crouch before closing them when she raises back up, all in the rhythm of the song. _God, she’s so sexy._

Holding on to the chair, Regina lowers herself again between Emma’s legs and then back up. She turns around but makes sure she looks over her shoulder, keeping eye contact with the blonde as she bends down, still moving her hips so that she shakes her ass quite sexily in Emma’s face. _Oh, God, have mercy…_

Regina uses her legs to push Emma’s closed, straddling her lap once again and slowly lowers herself down, hands on the blonde’s shoulders as she begins to grind her hips against a taut thigh. Emma moans, unable to control herself when she feels the warmth and slight moisture emanating from Regina’s sex. Too quick, though, Regina is back on her feet, hips moving accordingly to the beat of the song as her hands start to move on her body again,squeezing and rubbing in places, biting her lip as she goes. She releases a few breathy little moans as she grabs the back of the chair behind Emma’s head, moving up and down on her lap again, causing their breasts to rub tantalizingly against each other.

“Fuck,” Emma moans again, hands pulling hard at the silky scarves, so hard that it lessens its hold and she’s able to free her hands in instants. “Oh, yeah,” she mutters, using her free hands to grope Regina’s thighs and pull her in against her body.

The brunette gasps in outrage. “Emma? How did you-”

“I have a way with my fingers,” she provokes and Regina snorts, lifting herself off of Emma. “Ah, Gina, come back here, please?” Emma pleads with a pout that makes the brunette chuckle. “I promise not to touch.” She raises her hands to her chest innocently to make her point.

Regina crosses her arms over her chest and says loftily, “I’m not sure I trust you, Miss Swan.”

“Ooh,” Emma mutters with a hint of amusement in her voice. “I’m ‘Miss Swan’ now, huh?”

“You are whatever I want you to be,” Regina responds, giving Emma a disarming smile that literally makes her body _weak_ for her. The brunette kneels in front of her and says, “And now I want to make you come.” The look of feral desire on Regina’s face is completely enthralling in a way that makes her shiver how the other woman’s pupils are dilated and dark with lust.

Emma stays in complete silence and watches as Regina glides her nails on Emma’s thighs, to then reach her panties and drag it down. The movement is so slow and so _hot_ that she receives delicious goosebumps. A second later, Regina buries her face between Emma’s legs, her hot tongue lapping on her slick heat. Emma’s heartbeat increases and her skin heats in response to a delicate swipe of Regina's tongue. Then, there is another lick, slower than the first, then another, quicker... and Emma feels herself swell and her pulse quickens against Regina's soft mouth, realizing a throaty moan as her head falls back against the comfortable chair and her fingers intertwine with dark curls.

Emma had been already horny before this, and now she is dripping with arousal, her hips bucking up to meet Regina’s delicious mouth and tongue, feeling her pussy tighten around nothing, wanting more and more…

“Fuck, Regina, _fuck,_ I’m-”

The brunette ignores her incoherent babbling and continues ravishing her center. Emma arches her back off the chair, forcing her dripping core further into the other woman’s mouth. Her mind is a fuzzy haze, her body tingling just as a burst of ecstasy ripples violently through her veins. Her body stiffens while her essence bursts through her, provoking Regina to lick her clean.

Emma is gasping for air, eyes wide open to watch Regina move, hands holding her weight on Emma’s thighs as she leans for a slow, teasing kiss, making Emma taste herself in her mouth. When they break apart a few inches, Regina is beaming brightly at her and, _God_ , Emma couldn’t be more _in love_ with this woman.

* * *

♬

_The finer things keep shining through_

_The way my soul gets lost in you_

_The finer things I feel in me_

_The golden dance life could be_

— Steve Winwood

Around 8 p.m., Emma and Regina head to a very private restaurant in West Hollywood called Craig’s for dinner with Zelena. Emma really likes Zelena, but she’d rather it was just her and Regina. However, the problem is that they can’t be seen _alone_ traipsing around Los Angeles, giving paparazzi ideas that they’re somehow together. Regina hasn’t explicitly said so, but Emma understands it. She always will.

The restaurant is very chic and posh; a place where only celebrities and wealthy people would frequent, honestly. Emma would never set foot in a place like this because it’s not her style, and also because she doesn’t have that kind of money to spend at expensive restaurants like these. But she’s here with Regina and will do everything to make her happy and satisfied. There’s a first time for everything, anyway.

They are led by the host towards their reserved table, where Zelena is already seated, looking at her phone. The minute they sit down, Zelena starts a conversation about her job (she’s a fashion designer) and tells them about a crazy client that called her today. They order some French wine and the full vegan meal because, Regina said, the main point of dining at Craig’s is that they devoted an entire menu section to vegans.

While they enjoy a delicious portion of French fries with jalapeño creamed corn, Regina and Zelena engage Emma with stories of their childhood and adolescence that make her laugh all the time at the crazy and mischievous things these two sisters did to each other. After a while, Emma starts to feel more comfortable in a place like that and casually drapes her arm over Regina’s chair, who is sitting beside her. The brunette doesn’t seem to notice, but Zelena does, and she throws a few winks at Emma’s way, causing the blonde to blush a little. However, she doesn’t move her arm. It feels comfortable and too good to pull back.

As Zelena continues with the stories, Emma laughs again and suddenly, Regina is smiling brightly at her when she says, “You’re so pretty when you’re laughing.” And all of a sudden, she leans closer as her hand cups Emma’s cheek to press a kiss on the corner of her lips. Emma smiles in return, wrapping her arms around Regina’s neck. She enjoys the moment that lasts only a few seconds before Regina realizes what she’s really doing and pulls away hastily with her cheeks blushing. Zelena is snickering at them, her phone in hands as she secretly captures a photo of them looking beet red on the face.

They don’t talk about Regina’s sudden kiss in the middle of the restaurant. They all just pretend it didn’t happen and that no one saw it, becoming easily distracted when the maître brings over their vegan meals.

However, even though there are a lot of distractions around, Emma can’t stop thinking about how Regina did something so pure and lovely without even realizing they were in public. For a moment there, the brunette pretended nothing could hurt her, sent her fears away and just embraced whatever she felt with Emma.


	10. She Is Out & Proud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, there are a few songs mentioned in each chapter. In this one, please try to listen to them all when they're mentioned so you insert yourself in the mood <3
> 
> There's a great reference to Lady Gaga and her newest album [CHROMATICA](https://open.spotify.com/album/05c49JgPmL4Uz2ZeqRx5SP?si=tsV9ZcGBTWuJrubhPzeC7g) on this chapter.

♬

_We go so fast, why don't we make it last_

_Life is glowing inside you and me_

_Please take my hand, right here where I stand_

_Won't you come out and dance with me, oh_

_Come see_

— Steve Winwood

Each new goodbye turns into the worst experience possible for Emma. Any second she spends without Regina becomes excruciating as the days pass, and the way she misses her sometimes, it’s unparalleled to anything else she has ever felt before. But Emma manages the best she can and Regina does too, saying that she will try to come to New York and spend at least a week with Emma sometime during April.

They both have jobs that demand crazy hours and, even though Regina is not shooting any TV show or a movie at the moment, the brunette has other matters to take care of in LA. They keep texting each other every day, as usual, only this time they call each other more frequently or FaceTime when they’re about to go to bed. Emma remembers vividly the times they were talking and then Regina fell asleep still on the call and the blonde didn’t have the courage to turn it off for a long time, watching Regina’s beautiful sleeping face through her phone’s camera. Emma still has no idea how people in long-distance relationships do this constantly, the situation worse when the couple lives in two different countries. In her case, at least it’s just a six-hour flight commute, otherwise, this would be much harder.

The deep conversation about _feelings_ hasn’t come up and that worries Emma, somehow. She is living exactly in Regina’s time, waiting for her to dictate whatever she wants with Emma, but sometimes the insecurities of not being enough and simply _loved,_ gets to her head and she’s caught in a mess of self-deprecating thoughts. At least her friends always support her when she needs it.

Speaking of friends, Emma has been planning a great get together with them and Regina for when she comes over to visit. Just like it was in LA, Emma will want Regina to finally meet her friends for _real_ and get to know them _._ It’ll be a gathering at Ruby and Belle’s house — where they will each cook some exotic food and sip exotic drinks made by Mulan (who has been taking a short course on mixology).

In the first week of April, Regina appears by surprise on Emma’s front door. The blonde is so shocked by the sudden appearance that she picks up Regina in her arms and spins her around, making her squeal by surprise and grin brightly with happiness when Emma kisses her breathlessly. It only gets even better when Regina tells her she’ll stay the whole week.

A routine of domesticity is created during those seven days. Welcome kisses, cooking dinner, watching TV, make-out sessions on the couch, shared showers that turn into a quickie and lots and lots of good-night sex and morning kisses before work. It feels like _everything_ to Emma and she relishes on every second Gina stays with her.

This Saturday of this amazing, incredible, spectacular week is chosen for the special gathering with Emma’s friends at Ruby and Belle’s house. Emma is super excited while Regina is still a bit shy, even hesitant, but Emma knows why — she’s still scared of being exposed to the media and Emma will always respect that no matter what and will do everything in her power to make Regina feel comfortable enough around her friends.

She and Regina make a bowl of sweet potato, chickpea and spinach coconut curry to bring over to the gathering. When they arrive at the house, Elsa and Mulan are already there and all the girls look beyond excited to finally see Regina. Despite being super happy this is happening right now, Emma _knows_ her friends will sometime go over their limits with crazy questions for Regina. They said so once in their group chat that they were _dying_ to know all the secrets of being a real celebrity (well, Ruby and Elsa explicitly said so).

In the beginning, everything is _normal_ and they start sampling all the foods that each of them made. There was even a Brazilian dessert called _brigadeiro_ that won Emma’s heart and she ate it a lot after tasting all the other foods. Regina has been shy, although very smiley around everyone, so Emma gathers from that that she is happy to be here, which is enough to make Emma content. After they’ve had enough to eat in the kitchen along with delicious drinks made by Mulan, they head to the green-lit garden at the back of the house where there is a huge stereo to play music. Emma knows right at that moment that shit is going to start getting _real_ and her friends will enter their ‘crazy drunken vibe’.

Mulan keeps the drinks coming, using an improvised table on the grass with all the ingredients needed on top along with her tools to mix the beverages. Emma has had at least five of each of them and her mind is a little bit fuzzy by now. She looks at Regina sitting on an outdoor chair beside her and watches as she daintily sips her drink with a soft smile on her face, staring at Ruby and Belle who begin dancing with each other to the sound of _Is This Love_ by Bob Marley. Regina’s eyes are shining while looking at the couple, now singing to each other: _“I want to love you, and treat you right. I want to love you, every day and every night.”_

The energy of love that emanates from those two is something Emma always tended to pay attention to. They’re so in love and deserve each other so much. The sight of them drives her to grasp Regina’s free hand and intertwine their fingers together. Hazel eyes turn to look at her, a small smile gracing plump lips.

“They’re really cute together,” Regina says, eyes glowing in the light of the night.

“I know,” she responds, pulling the brunette into a quick kiss that is enough for her to taste the sweetness of Regina’s tongue caused by the drink she’s sipping. “Whoa, this tastes so good. What is it?”

“Mulan said it’s called _Cocoa’s Revenge_.”

“What’s in it?”

Regina chuckles. “I have no idea.”

Emma narrows her eyes at her and asks in a teasing tone, “You’re getting drunk, aren’t you, Mills?”

The brunette nibbles on her bottom lip as a blush creeps on her cheeks. “I’ve had seven different drinks and one of them had… uh, _tequila_ in it,” Regina whispers the word ‘tequila’ as if it was forbidden of her to say it, which makes Emma snicker and press another kiss to her inviting lips.

“You’re funny,” she says, hands tangling in brown locks tenderly. Regina’s eyes flutter closed with the touch and then she drinks another small sip of her _Cocoa’s Revenge_. “And really, really fucking beautiful.” Emma kisses her again, and this time is even better than the previous one because of the lingering taste of this drink that tastes mostly of chocolate cream with nutmeg.

Someone clears their throat beside them and they quickly spring apart to find Mulan with two different drinks in each hand. “Another round for you two!” She announces with a wolfish grin. “For you, Emma, a _Manhattan_ and for you, Regina, an _Agro Dolce.”_

With the first sip of the beverage on her tongue, Emma realizes Mulan is a really fucking talented mixologist. Right at that moment, Elsa appears in the backyard with a box of shiny stuff inside that quickly catches her attention.

“Alright, y’all! It’s time to dance the night away!” Ruby exclaims, moving to pick a pink feather boa inside the box to wrap around her head.

Holy shit, where did _that_ come from?

“Let’s dress up!” Elsa chants, wrapping a light blue feather boa around her neck too just in time as the song changes to _I Will Survive_ by Gloria Gaynor.

Emma’s face flushes like a tomato and she whispers an ‘oh, my God,’ in alarm, glancing at Regina to see her reaction. Then, out of nowhere, Ruby surges in front of Regina with a red feather boa and swirls around the brunette’s neck with the intent to raise her from the chair.

“This song is for you, Regina,” Ruby says as Regina reluctantly stands up, staring at the other woman with a surprised expression. “C’mon, let’s dance!”

All five of them gather around on a specific spot on the grass where the stereo is, with fresh drinks in their hands delivered by Mulan and they start dancing and singing to that very _specific_ song. Regina is impressively laughing at all the girls, not at all uncomfortable (probably because she’s a bit too drunk not to let loose). Her body moves along with the beat and she sings some parts of the song too while Emma stays petrified in her seat, watching all that with her mouth hanging slightly open.

Regina eventually comes to her rescue, a purple feather boa gripping loosely in one hand, and she does the same thing Ruby did to her with Emma: wraps the feather boa around her neck to raise her from the chair. Emma goes willingly, hands immediately moving to touch Regina’s waist as she is pulled towards the small crowd of women dancing, singing and drinking to the sound of the most iconic LGBT _anthem_ in the world. Regina suddenly turns around in her arms, back against Emma’s front and the blonde embraces her as their bodies start to move to the beat simultaneously. The chorus starts and even Regina sings this time along with Emma’s friends:

_“Oh no, not I, I will survive. Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive. I’ve got all my life to live and I've got all my love to give and I'll survive! I will survive, hey, hey!”_

Emma is sure that this moment right here will go down in history in her world as one of ‘the best memories to have shared with Regina’.

* * *

♬

_Say what you wanna say_

_And let the words fall out_

_Honestly, I wanna see you be brave_

— Sara Bareilles ****

Another goodbye, another see-you-soon kiss. Only this time, Emma doesn’t feel so disappointed because they had spent one whole week together that had been memorable in every aspect and, besides, Regina promised to be back very soon during the last week of April. Emma still can’t stop replaying the memories of Regina dancing to _I Will Survive,_ completely drunk and beyond happy with some colourful feather boas around her neck. Her hangover had been _massive_ the next day, but Regina remembered everything and didn’t regret it at all, so that meant that she was getting very comfortable with both herself and Emma's friends. That’s what it mattered.

Time seems to pass faster this time as Emma buries herself in work, getting in a bet with Mulan for who will arrest more perps than the other until the end of the month. It’s fun and very effective, and even Captain Nolan recognizes it as such. In the last week of April, Emma wins the challenge with Mulan, and Regina says she’s coming to visit again one last time before the weekend of Ruby and Belle’s wedding. However, instead of just staying cooped at home, Regina is the one who suggests they go have a walk at Central Park after Emma’s shift at work. The suggestion surprises Emma a lot, but she immediately agrees and is very happy about it. This means that Regina is probably warming up to the idea of being out in the public beside a woman who is not just a _friend_. Besides, Emma won’t lie and say that her tongue isn’t aching to say those _three words_ that mean so much. Every second she spends with Regina, she feels more in love with her and there’s just so much _passion_ running in her veins for whatever this woman does or says. It drives her crazy having to repress herself from expressing what she wants most, but she understands that Regina has to take that first step when she feels ready.

May 15th arrives quickly after that. It’s finally Ruby and Belle’s big wedding day and Emma feels like _she_ is the one who is going to get married because of the crazy nervous jitters that fill her body. It’s been the most expected day for her friends, and also, to Emma who will have Regina as her date for the _first time_ in a public event. Anyone could recognize her at the ceremony, but Regina had insisted on being her date a while ago and that’s why today has become one of the most special days for them.

The wedding ceremony starts at 4 p.m. and takes place in an outdoor venue at Central Park, decorated in white and pink colours that are beautifully contrasted with the green colour of the trees. Emma’s long dress is a beige-pink, just like Elsa’s and Mulan’s, who are also the bridesmaids. At the altar, Ruby and Belle are grinning at each other brightly, eyes shimmering with unshed tears as they say their vows, causing all three bridesmaids to let escape at least one proud tear. When they finally say, _‘I do’,_ Emma glances briefly at Regina sitting on the third row of chairs, realizing that she’s tearing up too. Her heart flutters at the sight and she wonders if Regina ever thought about getting married someday. With such an emotional moment happening around them, Emma realizes in that instant that she’d marry Regina right now if she could. The love she feels for her is beyond anything she has ever felt for anyone in her life, which scares her a bit, and also gives her enough encouragement to dive in deep into whatever Regina is willing to give her. That is... when she is ready to accept it all.

Ruby and Belle soon walk the down the aisle as the guests clap and cheer at them, throwing petals of pink flowers on top of their heads. It’s a beautiful sight: the two women beaming at each other, completely happy and satisfied with their lives. Soon after, the wedding reception begins as the guests get comfortable in their assigned chairs and the buffet starts serving food and drinks. Emma eventually finds Regina at the bar, drinking a glass of champagne while talking casually to the barman. When she spots Emma, she opens a bright smile to greet her and, surprisingly, pecks her lips right there, in front of everyone. For a moment, Emma thinks that Regina may have had more than one glass of alcoholic champagne, or she is just… well, _happy_ to be beside her now and doesn’t care if anyone recognizes her. Emma is _really_ hoping for the second option.

The blonde orders a drink for herself at the bar as she and Regina chat about how amazing and beautiful the wedding ceremony was. Soon, she and Regina are summoned over by Ruby and Belle for photo time. They all pose together and grin brightly at the camera, and then it’s the bridesmaids' turn with the wives. When Ruby and Belle take enough photos with every single guest invited, Emma observes that the newly-weds finally start to enjoy the amazing expensive snacks and drinks passing around by the caterer team. It’s not long before a slow, romantic song starts playing, that being the cue for the wives' first dance. The moment is magical and Emma cannot hold back her tears. Neither Regina, who Emma has recently discovered is emotional on weddings.

As the wives' first dance is over, Ruby invites on the microphone for all the guests to rise from their chairs and start dancing with their date or anyone they desire. With a sheepish grin, Emma extends her hand to Regina, watching as the brunette blushes a little before accepting to join the other couples at the dance floor. _If I Ain’t Got You_ by Alicia Keys starts playing, the beat slow and sexy. Emma wraps her arms around Regina’s waist, pulling her deliciously close as the latter tangles her arms around her neck. They’re smiling at each other, catching glimpses of the other couples around them: Ruby and Belle with their gorgeous wedding dresses and Elsa and Mulan (yeah, they’re still together and going). That moment right there is making Emma’s heart flutter with so much _love_ ; she’s with the woman she loves, at her best friends’ wedding and it couldn’t be more _perfect_.

 _“Some people want it all,”_ Regina whispers in her ear, following the tune of the song. _“But I don’t want nothing at all… if it ain’t you, baby. If I ain’t got you, baby.”_ Emma feels her body shiver with Regina’s breath ghosting her ear and her heart inflates with emotion. She slowly runs her fingers down Regina’s spine, skin warm under her fingertips, and she pulls the woman closer until there is no space left between them and she can feel the beating of Regina’s heart against her chest. They stay a while like that, swaying together with the rhythm of the song, with just the feel of each other.

Emma’s heart suddenly starts to pound harder as the yearning to say _something_ to this woman clouds her mind. “I’m so glad you’re here with me,” she whispers close to Regina’s ear.

The brunette pulls a few inches away and when Emma looks at her, she’s grinning widely, eyes glowing.

“Emma, I’m _ready_ ,” she says, hands sliding down to intertwine with Emma’s.

Emma is confused at first, and can’t help the frown on her forehead. “Ready for what?”

Regina chews on her bottom lip and then says confidently, “To confess to you and to myself that I am _in love_ with you.” Emma stares at her, mouth slightly agape, and she feels like every breath has left her lungs and her heart is about to explode out of her chest. “I am ready to take the next step with you if you’ll take me. I’m ready to come out and tell the world that I love you.”

Emma lets out a relieved breath and pulls Regina into a tight embrace. “God, Regina, I love you so much! You have no idea how long I’ve been holding this inside me.”

Regina grins brightly at her. “You are everything I ever hoped to find in someone else,Emma. These past few months that we’ve been together, it has been the best months of my _life_. I love you for so many reasons, but mainly because you are patient, you understand everything I’m feeling and you’re always there for me.” Emma nods quickly, fighting back tears as her fingers tighten around Regina’s. “I thank the universe for putting us on the same path again. I love you, Emma and I am ready to show our love to the world.”

Emma can’t take it anymore, so she cups Regina’s face and draws her in for a much-needed kiss. After that, Emma quickly pulls Regina away from the dance floor, ignoring Ruby, Belle, Elsa and Mulan’s smug stares, and drags the brunette for a more reserved space around the park where there are a few trees and no guests around. The minute they’re alone, Emma presses Regina gently against a tree and kisses her passionately, giving this woman all her love through a kiss. The blonde only breaks apart a few inches away to ask Regina a very important question:

“Regina, will you _please_ be my girlfriend?”

The other woman chuckles happily, fingers tightening around the nape of Emma’s neck. “Yes, of course! I love you, Emma.”

“I love you.” And they kiss again and again, always yearning for one another, for their touch, lips and body. Emma only stops when she feels her phone vibrating in her purse. She picks it up to glance at it and what she sees makes her heart throb with more happiness and _love._ “Look at what Mulan just sent me.” She shows Regina her phone with a photo of them dancing with each other on the dance floor, their faces close as a laugh erupts from their lips.

“I didn’t even see her snapping pictures of us,” Regina comments with a smile, arms still around Emma.

“I guess you were too busy saying you _love_ me,” Emma quips teasingly, leaning in for another kiss to then ask with seriousness in her eyes, “Regina, are you sure you want to come out to the world? I don’t want to pressure you into anything-”

“Emma, you have never pressured me into anything this whole time we've been together,” she assures. “You have been nothing but patient with me and I know it must have been hard for you.”

“I just want you to be happy with _yourself_ ,” Emma confesses and then stares deeply into brown orbs before continuing, “The idea that people will judge us for being who we are is challenging, I know, but we cannot hide away forever because we have the _right_ to be happy and to make our _own_ choices. We have the right to love and to be loved, to understand ourselves and, above all, to _love ourselves_. And only then, after accepting ourselves, we will be happy, you know? You have only one life and no one will live it for you. You have to do what your heart tells you to without fear of making mistakes. After all, if people really love you and want your well-being, they will respect you and accept you the way you are. And I will always be here for you, Regina. I want you to be happy.”

Regina releases a dreamy sigh, pulling Emma closer and closer, grinning brightly as her eyes shimmer with tears. “You’re amazing.”

“And you’re so _brave,_ Regina. I'm super proud of you!”

The brunette grins at her and then points to the phone where their picture is. “Send that to me. I’ll upload it to Instagram.”

Emma’s eyes widen in surprise. “Are you sure?” She asks just for precautions because there is nothing she wants most than their love being shown to the world.

“Yes, Emma. I am ready.”

* * *

♬

_And lovers try_

_'Til they get the best of the night_

_And come morning_

_They are tangled up in the light_

_So time be a river rolling into nowhere_

_And they love while they can_

_And they think about the night so sweet_

— Steve Winwood

Hours after lots of partying, mingling through guests and drinking with Emma’s friends, they finally head back to her apartment, shower quickly together to then go to bed. It's 2 a.m. when they finally settle under the covers, snuggling each other instantly after. They're so lost in each other's comfort that Emma almost doesn't see Regina’s phone buzzing with tons of notifications on the bedside table; ones that the brunette seems to be neglecting it entirely.

“Have you opened Instagram after you posted our photo?”

“No,” Regina responds with a sigh, her arm tightening around Emma's waist, seeking protectiveness from the outside world.

“Don’t you wanna see what they think of your hot new girlfriend?” Emma teases, hearing Regina chuckle against the blonde's chest.

“I like the word girlfriend.”

And she presses a quick peck on Emma’s lips after that.

“So… you don’t wanna see what they’re saying?” She tries again, but Regina stays silent.

It's obvious that the brunette doesn't want to open her Instagram page to see bad comments from her fans or whoever else cares. It's a hard process, she knows it. The internet can be rewarding, but also can drag you into a black hole of judgmental, harsh comments and make you feel extremely worthless. Hopefully, it won't come to that. Emma is also a bit afraid of what people might say and how that will affect Regina, but she also is trying to be strong for her girlfriend and will always try to help her face her fears and be brave.

“Baby, you must remember that you have fans that love you, all right?" Emma says, adjusting on the bed so they are facing each other. "You can’t just assume everyone will hate you just because you’re gay. Like I said before — if they really care about you, they will accept you the way you are. What matters most is if you’re happy, okay?” The brunette slowly nods, raising her hand to caress blonde curls tenderly. Then, Emma decides to ask, voice wavering slightly, “Are you happy with me?”

A bright grin is thrown her way.

“I’ve never been so happy in my entire life.”

“Me too,” Emma answers and cups Regina's cheek tenderly to then pepper a few kisses all over her face, making her laugh. “Are you ready to see how much _love_ you’re gonna get instead of hate? The LGBT community is bigger than you think,” she explains with a wink, hearing Regina’s throaty hum.

The brunette finally relents and unlocks her phone, opening it exactly on the comments section of her earlier post with Emma on Instagram:

As always, of course, there are people hating on others on social media. It’s normal nowadays, but the number of lovely messages and curious questions on that post overcomes all the hate from the people that can’t seem to believe in love. _Screw them._ Besides, Regina is tearing up at her fan’s lovely messages. She feels _loved_ and that’s what matters.

The best thing is that Regina chooses to stay a few more days in New York with Emma, completely overwhelmed by the messages she was receiving on her post and, obviously, she wanted some space from her agent and the Hollywood paparazzi that might want something from her. The sort of 'bad news' is that, since everyone could see her post, Regina’s parents also obviously saw it and invited them to have dinner at their house as soon as they were available.

Emma has been a nervous wreck for the upcoming dinner, but Regina assures her that it is going to be fine. Her parents had always known about her liking women, however, they didn’t talk about it because Regina didn’t talk about it. They’ve always respected her space. With that information, Emma realized Regina was a very lucky person with amazing parents. Now, she only hopes they will like her, too.

It turns out Cora and Henry Mills are the coolest parents Emma has ever met (not that she had met a lot of them, but still). As soon as they get in the house, Cora and Henry each hug Emma tightly, telling her how nice it is to finally meet one of Regina’s _serious_ girlfriends. Regina never told her much about her previous romantic life, but Emma assumes she had lots of hookups with women and then vanished far away from them, just like she first did with Emma in the Maldives. It’s a cruel thing to do, but everyone has crossed that road before sometime in life.

Dinner is completely _delightful._ Cora and Henry ask Emma a lot about her job, her hobbies, goals in life and also, of course, her intentions with their beloved Regina. They tell them they’re in love and the two parents beam with pride. Honestly, that’s something so precious — having parents that accept you the way you are and support your happiness is what every child should have. Cora and Henry also ask about the future, which starts a conversation about marriage and grandkids that Emma and Regina are _not_ ready for. Five days ago, it was the first time Regina felt brave enough to say that she loves her. For Emma, that is good enough for now. They will live one day at a time.

Emma and Regina are buzzing with happiness when they get home. Dinner had been very fun and successful, the _Evil Regals_ (the name Regina calls her fans) are still commenting on the post, super eager to know if Regina is _really_ gay, who the mysterious girlfriend is and when they’ve met.

“Do you think I should upload another post and explicitly come out?” Regina asks, a bit hesitant. “They want to know who you are, too. Do you think we should share that?”

Emma grins, moving closer to wrap her arms around the other woman’s waist. “I’d be happy to if you are. It all depends on you.”

“You know they’ll come for you, right? They’ll follow you on Instagram, Twitter; they'll like each of your photos and tweets and-”

Emma laughs, lowering Regina’s hands that had been counting the things on her fingers. “It’s okay. I’m okay with being on the media as long you are okay with everything. We’re together and that’s what matters to me.”

“I love you!” Regina says, beaming, and then kisses Emma gently. When they break apart for air, Regina has an excited look on her face. “I’ll post the selfie we took in the Maldives. Do you remember that one?”

“I’ve never seen it, actually,” she responds, interest picking up.

“Look!” Regina shows her the photo on her phone of the two of them side by side in the Maldives, smiling at the camera and with sunglasses on.

“Whoa, we look so damn cute together, don't we?" Emma quips, nudging her girlfriend on the ribs playfully.

"Of course we do, darling. I'll add a black and white filter too. I find it interesting," Regina says, tapping her fingers on the phonescreen. 

"Great. But what are you going to add to the captions?” Emma curiously asks.

Regina grins at her and then throws her a wink.

“You’ll see!”

On the day after, Emma and Regina wake up late (since it’s a Saturday and Emma’s free weekend), not even aware of the chaos that was happening on the internet because of Regina’s ‘coming out’ post. It’s Rose Bell, the agent, who left countless messages on Regina’s phone since last night, first congratulating her for, once again, coming out, and also telling her to check Twitter and Instagram.

Regina is a little apprehensive at first, afraid that the comments are too bad, but Emma encourages her to see it. It’s important that she does. They first visit Instagram, clicking on the comments on the post from last night, finding out that all their friends have commented on it:

That is just… the _cutest_ thing ever. Their friends are incredible, that’s for sure. Next, Emma checks her own Instagram, realizing that her old 500 followers have transformed into 120k followers. _Holy shit._

“I _told_ you,” Regina tells her, laughing at her surprised expression. “And this is only the first day, dear.” She nudges Emma’s shoulder and they go back to staring at their phones. “Oh, my God… look at what Zelena uploaded to her Instagram!” Regina shoves her phone towards Emma’s face and her eyes widen:

“Whoa! I didn’t know she had taken a picture of the exact moment you kissed me,” Emma comments, feeling a little baffled.

“Zelena is mischievous. She had her phone in her hands the whole time that night and probably took many other photos of us,” Regina says with a roll of her eyes, but there’s a small smile on her lips. “It’s nice, though, what she wrote.”

“Oh, yes, it's awesome!” Emma agrees, finding herself grinning at Zelena’s beautiful words. “I’m starting to think she’s our number one fan.”

Regina laughs and presses a quick kiss to the corner of Emma’s lips, just like she unexpectedly did on that night at the restaurant. Moving on to the consequences of last night’s 'coming out' post, the Twitter app is next and, to say the least, they’re both baffled by everything they see in it:

They’re both tearing up at all the fanarts and lovely replies each tweet receives. Emma is particularly impressed by the last one. Regina’s real fans are truly the most amazing ones in the world. They’ve welcomed both of them with open arms and all of this deserves some kind of celebration.

“Okay, I’m gonna reply to this tweet. I need to let them know that, ‘loving and supporting Regina Mills’ club is my favourite club of all times!” Regina laughs out loud, making Emma’s heart flutter in her chest with more love for her.

“I love you so much, Emma,” Regina says, and they kiss lovingly because that’s all they’re doing these days: saying how much they love each other, kissing and making love.

That kiss quickly leads them to delicious, mind-blowing, toe-curling sex and they eventually remember to reply to the fan’s tweet on Twitter:

* * *

♬

_Flame you came to me_

_Fire meet gasoline_

_Fire meet gasoline_

_I'm burning alive_

_I can barely breathe_

_When you're here loving me_

— Sia

**June**

* * *

**July**

* * *

**August**

**Kathryn Midas asks:** _By what you mentioned on your Instagram post, you and Emma met in the Maldives. How was that?_

 **Regina Mills to THR:** _It took me by surprise, I confess. I believe_ _we both fell in love quickly with each other and without hesitation, but it took a while for us to realize it. A strange deviation for me, actually (laughs). I had never been a person of rash and flippant decisions when it came to romance. I had always been calculated, distant, and unavailable, not out of any sort of strategy, but out of fear. Fear kept me from a lot of things, but perhaps the most poignant was that it kept me from love and opening myself to another person. It kept me from something fundamental: intimate human connection and being truthful to the world._

 **Reporter KM says:** _The pride in accepting your partner in front of the world is probably the most amazing gesture of love. You’re really brave, Regina. Not so many celebrities come out._

 **RM:** _I know. It’s a long way, though. But, believe it or not, the hardest part was having to accept myself. Many people struggle with their sexuality and it takes sometimes too long for them to be happy with who they are._

 **Reporter KM says:** _You’re brave for being who you are, Regina. I hope you have a wonderful future with your gorgeous girlfriend._

* * *

**September**

* * *

**October**

* * *

**November**

_Maldives_

“Emma, do you think we were destined to meet?” Regina asks, voice quiet and curious as she turns around to face Emma more closely. They are laying on their backs on a daybed by the pool, staring out at the night sky. The twinkling of the stars is enchanting — they blink and flicker away, and yet always return like rogues hiding away in the shadows. The sound of the calming waves is soothing to their ears and it makes them submerse even more into the paradisiac moment they’ve found themselves back again.

“Yes, I do. I believe in fate and… in soulmates. Do you?”

“I believe in my love for you,” Regina says. “And those coincidences we went through cannot just be _coincidences_ , can they?” She asks, nibbling on her bottom lip.

Emma smiles. “I like to think we were meant to be together and live happily ever after,” she confesses. “Isn't that a dumb cliché?”

“No,” Regina responds with a grin. “What matters is what we feel inside.” She pokes Emma’s chest where her heart is beating calmly.

“ _Oh_ ,” Emma quips, turning to lean on her elbow and face Regina closer. “What do you feel _inside_?” She wiggles her eyebrows playfully, making the brunette chuckle throatily.

“I’ve felt safe and comfortable with you since the first day we met, you know?”

“Wait, not on the first day! It was the second,” Emma protests, holding a finger up. “You rejected me the first day, remember?” she points out with a pout.

Regina laughs, lightly poking Emma’s ribs. “I was afraid at first. So, on the _second_ day we met, I instantly felt comfortable and safe with you and there was a bond between us that it was undeniable.”

“Yep! When I first looked at you, I knew that I had to talk to you.”

“I’m glad you did,” Regina answers with a smile. “And I’m glad you accepted me back in New York.”

“As if I could _ever_ deny you anything,” Emma says softly, looking deeply into pools of brown. “Besides, I was already in love with you and just didn’t know yet.”

Regina cups her cheek tenderly, smiling brightly at her with adoration in her eyes. “Me too. I love you, Emma.”

“You’re the answer to why I didn’t work with anyone before, you know? You are the woman I love and want to take with me for _life_ , Regina,” she confesses, heart pounding as emerald eyes stare into brown ones.

“There is nothing in the world that I want more than that, Emma.”

And Emma smiles, and smiles so hard her cheek hurts.

Regina’s head is angled slightly to the side as her lips come closer and closer to Emma's. Their breaths mingle. Her heart flutters inside her chest. Their lips meet each other halfway, gently pressing against one another. Then, Regina’s arms encircle around her neck and she kisses Emma hungrily in that way only _she_ knows how to do. Fire meets gasoline. That’s how it feels whenever they kiss, touch, tease. It’s like a supernova of feelings deep inside the heart that ignites the flames in their veins.

> _“This universe makes introductions for lovers that are destined to do great things together, to make life better for others rather than simply for themselves. Yet the introductions can take time, can be staggered over weeks, months or years. In this time, the pain of separation acts as a focusing lens to give each one time to see the purity of their love, to be sure that there can be only one lover for their lifetime. Otherwise, upon their start, the dark force would sew paranoias and replay the pains of their past to separate them. Yet, after the terrible pain of the first separations, after the clarity it brought each of them, they become one unit of two souls, free and united by their own choice. This way the positive force of the universe - that is love -, wins. That easy road other couples appear to travel on, it leads only to mediocrity. This one, however, is the path walked by the greatest lovers in history.”_
> 
> — Angela Abraham

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The credits of fanarts and manips used in this story goes to:  
> [versacesq](https://versacesq.tumblr.com/)  
> [vclworks](https://www.instagram.com/vclworks/)  
> [seli_na_w](https://twitter.com/seli_na_w)  
> [swenrizzles](https://swenrizzles.tumblr.com/)  
> [TLstMorgenstern](https://twitter.com/TLstMorgenstern)  
> [parrillasgf](https://twitter.com/parrillasgf)
> 
> The credit to the Lady Gaga letter goes to:  
> Ari (@wnderlandenigma) <3
> 
> Thanks to all SWEN that have read Paradisiac <3 It's been a pleasure to write for SQSN and an honour to be a part of this incredible fandom for so many years.
> 
> So, what did you think of the story? Make an author happy and leave a review! :D


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